On Saturday, January 27, the Maryland State police held their 11th annual Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point state park. An event for all ages, many people from around the state and some from neighboring states, came together to raise money for the Special Olympics.
There were many festivities throughout the day including live music, pig racing, food, heated tents for the “plungers”, and of course, the Icy Plunge itself. Many of the plungers wore costumes. Some costumes were comical (men in kilts and coconut shells) and others potentially frightening (tight Speedos, Borat suits and mustaches). With the sun shining down across the beautiful Chesapeake, an extravagant mass of spectators watched as the plungers dashed into the cold water and almost immediately dashed back out.
“My husband and his company decided to ‘plunge’ this year. Between the four of them they raised about $3,000,” spectator Angie Monroe told The Bay Net. Monroe, an Anne Arundel native, works to help adults with disabilities find jobs so she gladly attended the Polar Bear Plunge to support this worthy charity.
After the plunge was over, people started their journey home, waiting in long lines for a bus that would take them back to their cars at Navy Stadium or sitting in traffic to get back on the highway. Organizers have appologized for that dark spot on the day and promise that they’re already seeing to it that it doesn’t happen again next year. You can view their message here.
Otherwise, the success of the day indicates that this decade long tradition will continue strongly. 7,400 people (nearly twice the amount from last year), at least half of whom were “plungers”, participated in this daring act. Through their efforts, the Polar Bear Plunge organizers raised around two million dollars for the Special Olympics.
