Polar Plunge Recap

This past Saturday I participated in a Polar Bear Plunge to help raise money for Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.  If you missed the post about this event, you can catch it here.  Our school put in a team and with some major peer pressure including encouragement from students, I finally said "yes" to this ridiculous and crazy event about three days prior.  This year their goal was to raise $65,000 however their success was overwhelming and they raised $80,000!  

To begin the day, I ventured out for a five mile run from my parents' house.  Here I am with their spoiled dog.  He definitely has the life....

After running and a quick shower, I headed on down to the festivities to join my team...The Shivering Sharks.

One of the parents from another classroom volunteered to make chili to keep us warm while we were waiting for the plunge.  They own a catering company somewhere in the area and their chili was outstanding!  
 

This was the scene of the event...a spot along the Delaware River and you can see New Jersey over there on the other side.  They had two tents which were heated...one for women and one for men.  Right after the dip in the Delaware, plungers could run in there and change quickly out of their wet clothes.  I didn't realize it at the time, but those tents were REALLY necessary!

A view of the river...

My two buddies on the fourth grade team...Givon and Shawn...

Dunkin Donuts was a sponsor {which was key} and many took advantage of the mini cups of free coffee they were handing out to the crowd.

Fred came out to support us.  He was a man that wore many hats that day...cheerleader, photographer and valuable/cell phone handler.  Good thing he came!

Even the "Easton Assassin" Larry Holmes and retired NBA player Darryl Dawkins were on hand to give a word or two of encouragement and greet the crowd.  They roamed around all morning chatting with plungers and Special Olympians.   

Here's our team before we made our way down to the water.  I had butterflies in my stomach, similar to those I get before a race.  Too weird...

Waiting for our turn!

One last photo op...the calm before the storm!

If you look closely, I am on the left of each picture in the red sweatshirt and pink boots.  I thought I was being pretty slick wearing rainboots because I only wanted to go in to my ankles.  However, once I got in I waded in to my knees and the boots filled with water.  Definitely a poor decision on my part and I will reconsider my choice of footwear next year.   

Here I am running to that heated tent.  Holy smokes...my feet hurt!  After exiting the water, the pain hit and my feet could barely move.  I can't imagine what it would feel like to fall in icy cold water and not have a way out.  Some said that once they got in and began to head back out, they had difficulty moving their muscles because it was so cold.  Crazy!  Also...check out Jenna's face {the one in the red ahead of me}! 

Once we were all changed and warm, we made our way up this staircase to our cheering section. 

For me, it definitely was an experience.  Even though I didn't go in the water too far, I put myself WAY out of my comfort zone but it was all for a good cause.    

I want to thank all of the people who sponsored me {and trusted that I would actually attempt putting my big toe in the water}.  We are already talking about doing this again next year so I guess I have to start getting myself motivated.  I don't think it will be all that hard.  Maybe I'll even go in up to my waist?  We shall see.  Only time will tell...  

Polar Bear Plunge & Via Marathon

TGIF, everyone!  In lieu of my usual Friday Loving Lately  post, I thought I would share a little bit about what I am doing this weekend with a few colleagues from work.  At approximately 1:00 pm, you can think of me while I plunge into the icy, cold waters of the Delaware River for a quip dip, or more likely, a very fast run in and back out into the warmth of my Uggs.  

Why, do you ask?  I am one of many {like over 3,000 many} to take the Polar Bear Plunge to support the benefits of Special Olympics.  This “Plunge” is a fundraising opportunity for people in the community to raise money and gather donations for Special Olympics of  Pennsylvania, the state’s largest year-round organization devoted to sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics benefits thousands of adults and children by helping them improve physical fitness and motor skills.  The organization also helps their members gain confidence and obtain a more positive self-image through their year-round trainings and competitions.  All of this is at no cost to them or their families.

My team plans to arrive early to register with lots of hot beverages and food in tow.  Shawn {another 4^th grade teacher} will have a table for the refreshments that are being donated by a few families from our school.  Parents and students alike will be in attendance to watch and join in the festivities of this Plunge…all for a good cause. 

I am a bit nervous for the cold water, but I plan on having lots of extra clothing and hot coffee.  Rumor has it that a person only has to dip their feet in the water for it to count as plunging so that makes me feel a little better.  Fred is having a hard time believing that I will actually touch the water, yet alone go in because it has to be seriously hot for me to get into my own pool during the summer months.  We shall see…only time will tell. 

If you are interested in checking out my personal donation page, you can find it here and see why I’ll be “freezin’ for a reason” on Saturday afternoon.  

On another note, if you remember back in September I posted about my affiliation with Via, an organization that helps children and adults with disabilities develop social connections and gain employment in the community.  I serve on the Via race committee that plans/coordinates their yearly marathon, half-marathon and relay held on the second Sunday in September.  

Via's Boston certified course was designed by Runner’s World’s Bart Yasso.  It has a net descent and runners can choose to run a full marathon, a half-marathon or compete on a 5-person relay team.  This year's date is set for Sunday, September 8, 2013 and it’s a great community-wide event that runs from Allentown to Easton.  Check it out and register today!  

Here are a few of the posts about last year’s Via event:

LVHN Marathon for Via Recap Part One 

LVHN Marathon for Via Recap Part Two 

Via and Special Olympics have a similar mission and I feel really good to be a part of both fundraising events.  I will be sure to capture Saturday's plunge on film because it will be the first, and quite possibly the last time I will wade in a river in the middle of January.   

Have a great weekend!