N. Hempstead Polar Plunge to Benefit Special Olympics

Despite freezing temperatures, the first annual Wabash College Polar Plunge was a success.

“It’s a few minutes of discomfort for me, but it’s a lifetime of dreams for them”, he said. He joined Dodge County Sheriff, Scott Rose for his first time plunging for the special Olympics cause.

Rochester police officer Walt Sanders traded his police uniform for one as Superman as he spent several minutes repeatedly dunking himself under water.

The goal this year was to exceed last year’s fundraising goal of more than $330,000.

Schnee said that at the state level, funds raised during Polar Plunges go toward putting on state and regional competitions and meals for Special Olympics athletes.

Lewis and Clark Search and Rescue member Mat Lanigan said, “we put a lot of people in the water, everybody came out and it was just great seeing people have fun and supporting a great cause”. More than 600 of those participants took part in the plunge at North Hempstead Beach Park.

“Once you get in, you just try not to think about it”, Reichle said. “And I wanted to wake myself up for the day”.

“It gets attention and is easy to get off afterwards”, he said, noting that his strategy each winter involves ignoring any pre-event jitters and running into the lake.

“I say, come and do it”, Schnee said. “This is more than giving back”.

Approximately 6,000 plungers and 15,000 spectators helped raise almost $1 million statewide in 2015.

Smith was participating in the plunge for the second straight year. The event is in its fourth year and is part of the “Law Enforcement Torch Run” to benefit Special Olympics South Carolina.