From bearded ladies to a herd of people dressed like penguins being chased by a ringmaster, 215 Ohio University students and Athens residents took the sixth annual Polar Plunge at Lake Snowden Saturday.
The Ohio Psi Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity and the Ohio University Police Department hosted the plunge. All proceeds from the event directly supported Special Olympics Ohio.
The fundraising goal of $30,000 came up short, with $27,184 raised.
“I think the event itself went very well, and I was really happy with how everything went,” said Cody Pyle, student event coordinator for the plunge, a senior studying communications and a member of Phi Kappa Theta. “We had this at Strouds Run last year, but we moved the event to Lake Snowden’s camp grounds, and there was definitely more space to actually host the event.”
This year’s theme was “Under the Big Top,” and participants were encouraged to dress for the event. Some of the costumes included colorful tutus, bearded ladies in prom dresses and a group of penguins that waddled into the water while being chased by a ringmaster.
Emergency personnel stood nearby to monitor the jumpers and intervene if any of them were to get hypothermia from the cold temperatures.
One of the jumpers, Gerrod Schirtzinger, a junior studying computer engineering and president of Theta Chi, said jumping into the water was “very refreshing.”
“I went completely numb,” Schirtzinger said. “Honestly, it was really cold. The event was epic, and I’m definitely doing it again next year.”
OU students weren’t the only ones jumping into the near-freezing water. Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl also jumped into Lake Snowden. He said that he has been participating in the plunge for as long as he has been in office.
“It’s a good fundraiser for the Special Olympics,” Wiehl said. “Plus, the water’s cold, so it’s a good shock to the system.”
In the end, Phi Kappa Theta had raised the most funds as a group. The fraternity had 37 registered members who donated a total of $5,057.
Conor Wilkinson, a member of Phi Kappa Theta and a freshman studying international business, said the sensation of running into the water was “really cold.”
“The plunge was an experience and was a way to spend a great afternoon with my fraternity brothers,” Wilkinson said. “It was great to spend time with them and to donate to the Special Olympics.”
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