Teams sought for Feb. 4 Polar Plunge
If you feel like plunging into the frigid waters of Chemong Lake next month, Mike Richardson wants to hear from you.
It’s not so bad, Richardson insists – and it’s all for charity.
He’s done it three times. Richardson says you can take the plunge, jump out again and find yourself in a steamy hot tub in 30 seconds flat.
Wait a minute ... Let’s not kid ourselves: Richardson admits the cold hits you like a kick in the chest.
“But it’s momentary!” he says. Richardson is a Rotarian and he’s an organizer of the annual polar plunge for the Rotary Club of Bridgenorth-Ennismore-Lakefield (BEL).
It’s the 38th annual event and it’s being held at Rotary Park, on the shores of Chemong Lake in Ennismore, on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.
It’s part of the weekend-long PolarFest, which also includes events such as fireworks, ice sculptures and speed skating at the Oval (www.polarfest.ca).
In keeping with tradition, there’s a theme for anyone wanting to do the plunge in costume: this year it’s superheroes.
Remember Mr. Freeze? That would work, although Richardson says anything goes from Wonder Woman to the Hulk.
“There’s just so much superhero interest right now,” he said.
The Polar Plunge works like this: register online at and collect pledges through www.belrotaryplunge.com
The Rotary Club strongly suggests that each participant collect at least $200 in pledges.
Half the money pledged will be put toward Rotary’s community service work, and the rest will go to the charity of your choice (Richardson is taking the plunge for Habitat for Humanity this year, for example).
Over the years, it’s been highly successful: they’ve collected $650,000 in total since the beginning of the annual event.
Participants are asked to show up anytime between noon and 2 p.m. on Feb. 4.
Even those who’ve registered online are asked to register a second time, on the spot. Then when it’s your turn, brace yourself for the coldest experience ever.
Richardson said participation is expected to be strong: as of Friday there were already 22 teams registered to do the plunge, and he expects as many as 40 teams to sign up by Feb. 5.
If you’re not part of a team, he said, you can still enter: they take individual entries, or groups of up to six people.
There’s also prizes being awarded in categories such as best costume and most funds raised.
Although there’s been a thaw this week, Richardson says he’s optimistic the ice will hold up well for the polar plunge.
He said that even in Friday’s rain, the ice on Chemong Lake was between eight and 10 inches thick. With colder temperatures expected overnight, he figures the ice won’t melt too much.
“If worse came to worst, people would run into the water from shore,” Richardson said.
NOTE: Updates can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ BELRotaryClub or on Twitter @ BELPolarPlunge