None of the seven feet and one inch of Shaquille O’Neal entered the chilly waters of Lake Acworth this weekend.

The basketball legend wasn't one of the 256 people to take a dip, but he did help raise money, which was the whole point of Special Olympics Georgia's Polar Plunge event on Saturday.

The fundraiser provides programs for 1,400 athletes statewide.

Event manager Rebecca Walsh estimated Monday that the group raised more than $115,000 during the two-week campaign.

This was Special Olympics Georgia’s eighth time holding the event, but the first time at Lake Acworth. There are already plans to hold the plunge there again next year.

So how did Shaq get involved?

Walsh reached out to The Big Aristotle's manager, but a Marietta officer with friends at the Clayton County Sheriff's Office — which deputized the Hall-of-Famer late last year — also helped get Shaq to Cobb.

“He wanted to come out and support because he loves sports, Special Olympics and he’s a big supporter of law enforcement,” Walsh said.

Shaq, who ended up judging the event’s costume contest, took bunches of pictures with folks. Check out some of them below:

About the Author

Keep Reading

The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, which operates Xpress, has said the changes — which will eliminate other routes and decrease frequency overall — are necessary because of ridership declines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (AJC File)

Credit: AJC File Photo

Featured

Toi Cliatt, Trina Martin and her son, Gabe Watson, say they were traumatized when an FBI SWAT team raided their Atlanta home by mistake in 2017. (Courtesy of Institute for Justice)

Credit: Courtesy Institute for Justice