LEESBURG – While some people took the annual Pie Eyed Petey’s Polar Bear Plunge Saturday for fun or to support a good cause, it was a little more personal for the family and friends of Roger Taylor. Roger died unexpectedly July 14 after having a seizure. A nine-time state and four-time world arm wrestling champion, he was a very competitive guy, according to his wife, Theresa Taylor, North Webster. He also cared about the less fortunate. “He was a big advocate for providing food for the hungry, so we did this every year,” Theresa said. “So we’re doing it this year in memory of him.” Roger participated in the Polar Bear Plunge in its first five years. This year marked the sixth annual event, which raises money and non-perishable food items for the food pantries in North Webster and Syracuse. Family friend Andrea Risner said a group of six was going in together. Each wore a costume, with Risner choosing to be Superwoman. She said, “He got us doing this, and this year we’re doing this for him.” Brad Taylor, Roger’s son, said he never saw his dad take part in the first five years of the plunge, but had told him that he would this year. Though he didn’t get to do it with his father, he kept his promise to him and jumped in the icy Tippecanoe Lake. “It kind of hurts that we don’t get to do it with him, but it’s nice we get to do it in memory of him,” Brad said. Even Brad’s costume reflected a memory he had of his father. Brad wore a speedo and a turban with bottle rockets in it for Saturday’s Plunge. Brad explained that one night he was in the living room with his parents and his beard was very messy because he hadn’t showered for awhile. His parents decided to tackle him, dressed him up as an Arab with a turban and made him hold some fireworks for a picture. Roger’s nickname also was “Rocket,” Brad said. The Taylors were among 138 people who signed up for the Leesburg event. Though that number was down from 157 in 2014, Pie Eyed Petey’s co-owner Barb Hamer said it was fun and the good weather let everyone stand outside instead of crowding indoors. “We raised quite a bit of money, quite a bit of food,” she said. “It’s a nice time.” The final numbers wouldn’t be known until later in the week, she said. She also commended the Kosciusko Dive Team for doing a nice job again this year, and the North Webster EMS for its support. Roy Hamer, co-owner, said the food collected will be sent out next week. “We had lots of volunteers this year. It went real smooth,” he said. Costumes are a popular part of the annual event, and two men who always take part are Brett Nelson and Mike Motes, both of Chicago. Nelson attended as the Penguin and Motes as the Caped Crusader. “I am Batman!” he insisted. “It was a thing,” Nelson said of the costumes. “He’s been wanting to do superheroes for awhile. I said there were no fat superheroes, so I would be a villain.” His daughter, Amanda Nelson, and her boyfriend, Colten Beaupre, came as Duct Tape Girl and Boy respectively. “We wanted to be original. We didn’t want to be the same as everyone else. It’s also cheaper,” she said. They used five big rolls of duct tape to make their costumes. Jason Toler, Pierceton, kept his costume pretty simple – he plunged in his zebra pajama onesies. It was his second year to participate but the first for a costume. “It was a lot of fun last year. It was refreshing,” Toler said. The Lake City Roller Dolls took the plunge as a team for the third year this year. Derby Doll Tanya Keaton, of Hamlet, was taking part for the first time. She explained that the whole team was dressed up like Tom Cruise in white dress shirts from “Risky Business” because that’s what they voted to do. Pack Captain Brittany Elliott said each year the team participates and gives a big donation to the food pantries. This year, they collected over 500 pounds, she said. Eighteen of the Dolls took part in the Plunge this year, she said. Last year, Leesburg’s Karen Wolken jumped in to celebrate her divorce. This year, she said, it was just for fun. “It was so much fun last year,” she said. Friends of Shane and Jane Rager, Leesburg, do the Plunge every year and finally convinced the Ragers to do it too. The two decided to dress up as the McPoyles – characters from the television show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” – Jane said, because they’re big fans of the show. Even their dogs are named after “Sunny” characters, Shane said. Jane said the weather was really nice Saturday, too. By the 1 p.m. start time, the temperature outside was about 41 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the Kosciusko Dive Team, the temperature of the surface of the water was about 32 degrees, while under the ice about 35 to 37 degrees. For the second consecutive year, Greg Gephardt and Chad Peart, both of Leesburg, dressed up as referees. “It’s something to do in the middle of January,” Peart said. “It breaks up the monotony of winter.” This year, they convinced their friends from Chicago, Jay and Judy Sipek, to jump in for the first time. “They said come down, it’s a good time. I said OK,” Jay said. Many of the participants in the annual Polar Bear Plunge convince their friends and family to do it. In 2014, Candice Brown, North Webster, took part. This year, Edward Harness, North Webster, wanted to do it but had to convince Brown to do it again with him. Afterward, Harness said the water temperature was “shocking,” while Brown said it was “breathtaking.” Asked if they’ll do it again next year, Harness didn’t hesitate and responded, “We’ll probably do it next year.” Spencer Fisk, Leesburg, did it Saturday for the fifth year. “It actually felt colder this year because of the air temperature. This might have been the most painful,” Fisk said afterward. He did convince his brother, Jeremy Fisk, of Franklin, to come up and do it with him. “It was definitely worth every minute of the three-hour drive up here,” Jeremy said. “I can’t wait until next year.”
