January 4, 2016 at 4:04 p.m.
An icy start to 2016: Spirited plungers raise money for Angel On My Shoulder
An icy start to 2016: Spirited plungers raise money for Angel On My Shoulder
By Kayla Thomason-
A total of 103 spirited individuals took the icy plunge and scrambled to shore with the aid of scuba diver James Anys and volunteer Dick Lemke.
The event raised $36,500 for Angel on My Shoulder, a charity that supports cancer patients and their families.
"We always have somebody from the dive team out here to make sure everybody is OK," said Mike Wolf, Polar Bear Plunge founder and organizer. "This year was a little bit different because (at the location of the jump site it) was about 5 to 5 1/2 feet deep and the one side was 4 1/2 (feet deep), so people were hitting that and it was a little deeper than they thought it was, so the diver was able to go in there and help them out of the water."
The plunge site was modified this year due to the thin ice, so plungers were close to shore and could run out, Wolf added.
Bystanders got to sit on the bleachers on land.
The crowd that overflowed was told to stand next to the shore for safety reasons.
The ice at the shore was 4 to 5 inches thick but thinned out to 3.5 inches a short ways out.
The town of Three Lakes and the Three Lakes Fire Department brought the bleachers.
Those in the crowd got to watch the plungers, some of whom were dressed in costume, take the icy leap.
Among the costumes seen were Minions from "Despicable Me," a fairy, and the iconic lamp from "A Christmas Story" to name a few.
There were many first-time plungers who participated in this year's event.
Siblings Janie Vick and Tom Stuckart plunged for the first time in honor of their mother who beat breast cancer.
"It's for a great cause and I couldn't actually think of a better way to raise money when it's this cold outside so why not," Stuckart said.
This wasn't his first time in cold water, but this one was a bit nippier than before.
"I've been in cold water before but this one was a shock for sure, you jump in and you're like 'oh, that's freezing,' try and crawl out as fast as you can," he said.
Vick shared her brother's view of the experience.
"It was cold but awesome," she said. "It was for a good cause."
Some advice Stuckart would give to new participants is that less clothes are better and to wear shoes.
"I'd like to thank Angel On My Shoulder for throwing such a good event," he said.
Vick's advice was more similar to pulling off a Band-aid.
"Just jump, don't hesitate don't think about it," she said.
She and her brother said they would participate in every plunge.
Another first-time plunger was Bryan Wendt.
"It was cold," he said. "When you really think of it, it's just a few seconds. And for the cause that they're doing this for, it's very little, what we do, compared to what other people go through."
He said he would encourage others to participate in the plunge.
"I think it's great, all the people that have donated their time and contributed to this great cause, so I really appreciate everybody coming forward and supporting Angel on My Shoulder," he said.
Ryan Wargo was another first-time plunger.
"It was cold, very cold," he said.
He and his group were in the Northwoods from the Chicagoland area, heard about the plunge and had originally planned on just watching. In the end, however, they couldn't resist giving it a try.
Wargo wondered how the cold water compared to a historic event.
"I thought about what the Titanic was like when they were in the water," he said. "I don't know if it was that bad or not but I know that there was that split second where I was like 'I can't move I'm so cold,' and I just started trying to swim."
For first-time plungers Wargo would recommend watershoes or other footwear, as running across the snow wet and barefoot is a bit painful.
A few minor things were new this year such as parking and the hot tub situation.
Bonnie's Lakeside demolished a few cabins in back and that open space was used for parking. There were so many people at the event that some had to park farther away.
The hot tubs were situated inside a tent at one end, with tables and refreshments at the other.
There was a 50/50 raffle of $1,150 and the family that won it donated it back to Angel On My Shoulder.
"It's been great, it's been fun," Wolf said. "Three Lakes Fire Department, town of Three Lakes, the Three Lakes Police Department, Bonnie's Lakeside - all these people coming together to help us out with this event and it's just awesome, it's a great time."
Of every $1 that is donated $0.97 goes to Angel On My Shoulder.
"It's a great fundraiser, it's a great organization - Angel on My Shoulder," Wolf said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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