Hundreds of swimmers jump into Chicago River over the weekend

CHICAGO (NBC, KYMA) - For the first time in almost a century, hundreds of swimmers jumped into the Chicago River Sunday for an open water swim.

After failing to get permits for the event in 2019 and 2024, organizers got the city's seal of approval this year.

The event celebrates the city's environmental progress and generates money for ALS research at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine as well as for swim safety education for at-risk children in Chicago.

The two-mile swim takes participants beneath the city's iconic bridges, beginning at the Dearborn Street Bridge and concluding near the Clark Street Bridge.