Polar Bear Plunge Raises Money for Food Pantries
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
“Just for something fun to do with a bunch of friends,” Michael Marcuccilli, Warsaw, said as to why he returned for the third year.
Marcuccilli was the 23rd person to sign up by 10:45 a.m. By the 1 p.m. plunges, 80 people had registered to take a dip. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team put the temperature of the water at about 34 degrees.
“It’s not as bad as last year,” Marcuccilli said. “Last year was horrible.”
The Polar Bear Plunge benefits the North Webster and Syracuse food pantries. Table reservations alone raised $1,300, with participants and spectators alike bringing food items and monetary donations, too. The donations were still being counted as of Monday morning, but more food donations were brought in this year than last.
Brett Nelson, Mike Motes and Eric and Stephanie Knispel, all of Chicago, took the plunge together, in costumes. Two of them wore moo-moos, with the third guy wearing a Santa Claus outfit.
“We have lake houses out here. We support our local lake,” Nelson said of why they do the plunge every year.
“We do it every year,” said Motes. “Last year, we did coconut bra skirts. We like to have fun.”
“We figured moo-moos would be easy and cheap,” said Nelson. “It was colder last year.”
Leesburg’s Janet Miller was one of the hundreds of spectators this year.
“We come every year because it’s a fun day,” Miller said. “All the camaraderie, all the people here. We know people here. We like to look at all the outfits people wear.”
She said she doesn’t jump in though because “I’m old and I like to think I have more sense than that.”
The plunge was Jim Price’s second year. Asked why he does it, the Leesburg resident said, “I don’t know. Something fun. Something different. Something insane.”
Originally from Indianapolis, Bryentt Engelhardt now lives in Warsaw. He took the plunge in 2011, but returned this year for a friend.
“Cold and painful,” Engelhardt described last year’s plunge. “I learned to wear shoes when I jump in.”
He and about five of his friends all wore “Chilly Willy” penguin t-shirts Warsaw’s Mike Braden made for them. They also wore Polar Bear hats. The group took second place in the costume contest.
“Bryentt thought the character was cute from the old cartoons,” Braden said. “We’re all just guys so it fit.”
Tyson Niles, Syracuse, and Macy Moore, Warsaw, won the best costume contest last year, so they dressed to win it again this year.
“I love to do it. We’ll do it for the rest of our lives,” Niles said. “We knew we had to be bigger than last year.”
The front of their costumes read “Polar Light You Know Your Beer’s Cold When ...” The sides read “Cold Activated Cans”, and the back read “The Official Plunge Beer 2012”.
Not everyone Saturday was a veteran. Chad Bruner, Leesburg, was jumping in for his first time.
“It was a dare. Last year I was here, I spectated, then I said I would do it this year,” Bruner said.
It was also Brett Ehmen’s first year.
“A couple buddies are doing it,” the North Webster resident said. “I figure I might as well do it. I put my sled in the river this year, I figure it couldn’t be much worse.”
“Just the general atmosphere,” Spencer Fisk, Leesburg, said as to why he was plunging for a second year. “The party environment and to challenge myself, I guess. And for the food bank, of course.”
All his friends backed out on going in with him, he said, but he decided to go ahead.
“I’m just going to run in, get my head wet and call it a day,” Fisk said.
Haley Fletcher, Shantel Stover and Carly Overlese all dressed as creatures from the movie “Avatar”. They won first place in the costume contest.
“I love it,” said Fletcher, of Greenfield. “I love it. I just love it. It’s a complete rush! I come for that - the thrill!”
Stover said they decided to wear the “Avatar” costumes because that’s what they were going to do for Halloween.
Korey Green, Warsaw, doing it for a third year, said, “Just because it’s a good cause. The food bank and all that. It’s exhilarating!”
Clay Eppley, Leesburg, wore a neon green body suit, with boxers underneath, and nothing else.
“It’s fun to jump in freezing water!” Eppley said.
He said he chose the outfit because, “I thought it would be funny. It’s not at all warm.”
Brent White, North Webster, chose to dress as Captain America for his third year.
“Something I had around,” he said. “It was my Halloween costume to be perfectly honest,” White said. “This is a fundraiser for the food bank, so it’s a good cause. We dress up, try to get people to come out here to raise some money for the food bank.”
Miles Wagoner, North Webster, dressed as Chewbacca from “Star Wars”.
“We both love the ‘Star Wars’ movies,” said Wagoner’s friend Doug Lower, Syracuse. “Chewbacca is a fun character. Miles does a really good Chewbacca voice. You can’t help but see this outfit on him and not make you smile.”
After getting out of the icy water, Drew Daffron, Anderson, said, “Besides my toes hurting, it feels pretty good. Surprisingly, I’m not cold at all.”
As to whether or not he’ll come back next year, Daffron said, “Heck yeah!”
On hand to make sure everything was safe was the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. and the KCSD Dive Team, and the North Webster Paramedic Service. Jeff Carey cleared the ice out of the water for the jump with his backhoe.
“We had a lot of good fun,” said Barb Hamer, co-owner of Pie-Eyed Petey’s with her husband, Roy. “We raise a lot of money and canned food. To sum it up, a good time was had by all.”[[In-content Ad]]
“Just for something fun to do with a bunch of friends,” Michael Marcuccilli, Warsaw, said as to why he returned for the third year.
Marcuccilli was the 23rd person to sign up by 10:45 a.m. By the 1 p.m. plunges, 80 people had registered to take a dip. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team put the temperature of the water at about 34 degrees.
“It’s not as bad as last year,” Marcuccilli said. “Last year was horrible.”
The Polar Bear Plunge benefits the North Webster and Syracuse food pantries. Table reservations alone raised $1,300, with participants and spectators alike bringing food items and monetary donations, too. The donations were still being counted as of Monday morning, but more food donations were brought in this year than last.
Brett Nelson, Mike Motes and Eric and Stephanie Knispel, all of Chicago, took the plunge together, in costumes. Two of them wore moo-moos, with the third guy wearing a Santa Claus outfit.
“We have lake houses out here. We support our local lake,” Nelson said of why they do the plunge every year.
“We do it every year,” said Motes. “Last year, we did coconut bra skirts. We like to have fun.”
“We figured moo-moos would be easy and cheap,” said Nelson. “It was colder last year.”
Leesburg’s Janet Miller was one of the hundreds of spectators this year.
“We come every year because it’s a fun day,” Miller said. “All the camaraderie, all the people here. We know people here. We like to look at all the outfits people wear.”
She said she doesn’t jump in though because “I’m old and I like to think I have more sense than that.”
The plunge was Jim Price’s second year. Asked why he does it, the Leesburg resident said, “I don’t know. Something fun. Something different. Something insane.”
Originally from Indianapolis, Bryentt Engelhardt now lives in Warsaw. He took the plunge in 2011, but returned this year for a friend.
“Cold and painful,” Engelhardt described last year’s plunge. “I learned to wear shoes when I jump in.”
He and about five of his friends all wore “Chilly Willy” penguin t-shirts Warsaw’s Mike Braden made for them. They also wore Polar Bear hats. The group took second place in the costume contest.
“Bryentt thought the character was cute from the old cartoons,” Braden said. “We’re all just guys so it fit.”
Tyson Niles, Syracuse, and Macy Moore, Warsaw, won the best costume contest last year, so they dressed to win it again this year.
“I love to do it. We’ll do it for the rest of our lives,” Niles said. “We knew we had to be bigger than last year.”
The front of their costumes read “Polar Light You Know Your Beer’s Cold When ...” The sides read “Cold Activated Cans”, and the back read “The Official Plunge Beer 2012”.
Not everyone Saturday was a veteran. Chad Bruner, Leesburg, was jumping in for his first time.
“It was a dare. Last year I was here, I spectated, then I said I would do it this year,” Bruner said.
It was also Brett Ehmen’s first year.
“A couple buddies are doing it,” the North Webster resident said. “I figure I might as well do it. I put my sled in the river this year, I figure it couldn’t be much worse.”
“Just the general atmosphere,” Spencer Fisk, Leesburg, said as to why he was plunging for a second year. “The party environment and to challenge myself, I guess. And for the food bank, of course.”
All his friends backed out on going in with him, he said, but he decided to go ahead.
“I’m just going to run in, get my head wet and call it a day,” Fisk said.
Haley Fletcher, Shantel Stover and Carly Overlese all dressed as creatures from the movie “Avatar”. They won first place in the costume contest.
“I love it,” said Fletcher, of Greenfield. “I love it. I just love it. It’s a complete rush! I come for that - the thrill!”
Stover said they decided to wear the “Avatar” costumes because that’s what they were going to do for Halloween.
Korey Green, Warsaw, doing it for a third year, said, “Just because it’s a good cause. The food bank and all that. It’s exhilarating!”
Clay Eppley, Leesburg, wore a neon green body suit, with boxers underneath, and nothing else.
“It’s fun to jump in freezing water!” Eppley said.
He said he chose the outfit because, “I thought it would be funny. It’s not at all warm.”
Brent White, North Webster, chose to dress as Captain America for his third year.
“Something I had around,” he said. “It was my Halloween costume to be perfectly honest,” White said. “This is a fundraiser for the food bank, so it’s a good cause. We dress up, try to get people to come out here to raise some money for the food bank.”
Miles Wagoner, North Webster, dressed as Chewbacca from “Star Wars”.
“We both love the ‘Star Wars’ movies,” said Wagoner’s friend Doug Lower, Syracuse. “Chewbacca is a fun character. Miles does a really good Chewbacca voice. You can’t help but see this outfit on him and not make you smile.”
After getting out of the icy water, Drew Daffron, Anderson, said, “Besides my toes hurting, it feels pretty good. Surprisingly, I’m not cold at all.”
As to whether or not he’ll come back next year, Daffron said, “Heck yeah!”
On hand to make sure everything was safe was the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. and the KCSD Dive Team, and the North Webster Paramedic Service. Jeff Carey cleared the ice out of the water for the jump with his backhoe.
“We had a lot of good fun,” said Barb Hamer, co-owner of Pie-Eyed Petey’s with her husband, Roy. “We raise a lot of money and canned food. To sum it up, a good time was had by all.”[[In-content Ad]]
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