Polar Bear Plunge raises $24K

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By LAURA SCHREIER / Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday’s Polar Plunge may have avoided February’s howling blizzards, but those who dashed into Holmes Lake got plenty cold.

Seventy or so people took chilly dips at the Law Enforcement Torch Run’s Polar Bear Plunge 2007 to raise money for Special Olympics Nebraska.

Originally set for Feb. 24, the event — even though it is called the Polar Bear Plunge — was pushed back because of blustery winds and the promise to snow.

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A team runs into Holmes Lake as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics Nebraska on Saturday morning. (Jill Peitzmeier)

On Saturday, the sun was shining and the thermometer hit 61 degrees before day’s end, but firefighters still had to chop through the sheen of ice on the lake before anyone could take the plunge.

“We got a tropical polar plunge today,” said Lincoln Police Sgt. Jerome Thraen, who had a gray board shaped like a fin on his back and waded in as the theme from “Jaws” played in the background.

 Wave after wave of plungers dressed as pigs, penguins, Gilligan and the Skipper, hula dancers, soccer hooligans and more ran  into chest-deep waters and staggered back out.

“It’s a shock when you first get in,” said Andrea Ernesti, who plunged with fellow members of the National Guard. “(But) it would have been worse on the 24th.”

So postponing the event may have been kind to plungers, but not so much for organizers.

Carolyn Chamberlin, regional director, said Saturday’s plunge brought in about $24,500 — a nice jump over last year’s $17,000 haul — but rescheduling probably meant some would-be plungers couldn’t make the new date.

About 150 people jumped in the lake last year.

Chuck Cooper, president and CEO of Special Olympics Nebraska, said college students often organize big groups, but spring break started Friday.

Still, Chamberlin said she was pleased with the money this year’s plungers brought in, and expected later donations to nudge the total to organizers’ goal amount of $25,000.

Cassie Schorzman and her coworkers were decked out in winter-themed pajamas for their plunge. Two of their team had to cancel because of the changed date, but Schorzman said they’d found a couple of replacements.

“We made sure to get some more people in there,” she said.

After emerging from the lake, most people hustled into nearby trailers to change, but some took their time once they hit the sunny shore.

“The water is a lot colder than it is out here,” said Lincoln police Sgt. Don Scheinost, standing in a drenched Batman costume.

Many participants went on to the post-plunge party at Lincoln Christian School, 84th Street and Old Cheney Road, for hot dogs and prizes.

Cooper was one of the first to dive into the water. He teed up a golf ball, hit it out over the lake and ran in after it — but stopped short of actually trying to retrieve the ball.

“It was really cold,” he said. “Gets the blood flowing.”

Reach Laura Schreier at 473-7395 or lschreier@journalstar.com.