More than 150 people plunged into icy water Saturday morning to support a cause.
The second-annual Greenwood Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics Indiana was held at Dye’s Walk Country Club in Greenwood. Each plunger needed to raise at least $75 to plunge, and the total raised for Greenwood’s plunge was $39,000, an increase from last year’s $36,000.
Special Olympics Indiana, which is part of the national organization, has been around for more than 50 years. The state has more than 18,000 athletes compete in the 32 sports offered by the Special Olympics each year.
With the outside temperature sitting below freezing at 25 degrees, participants from across Johnson County lined up to jump, one at a time, into the freezing water of a three-foot deep pool set up just outside the country club. Friends and family of the plungers gathered around the pool or on the balconies to watch, and tried to avoid getting hit by splashing water.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryFirst-time plunger Richard Cunningham sported a red onesie underneath his blue and white tutu. He plunged for his daughter, Jamie Cunningham, a Special Olympics athlete.
“I’ve been a big supporter of Special Olympics for a long time, and I wouldn’t do it for any other reason,” Richard Cunningham said.
Jamie Cunningham, a cheerleader for Special Olympics, said she loved coming to Polar Plunge, and she was very excited to see her dad jump in this year. He asked her if she was going to laugh at him, she did and excitedly proclaimed, “Yeah!”
“Getting to know these kids and to see them grow, it has taught me more about who I am and what I want to do,” Richard Cunningham said. “There’s no reason to say no in life. Just do it.”
Richard Cunningham plunged into the pool while flashing a big smile to his friends and family. He surprised them with a ballerina arabesque in the air before splashing down.
Plungers did a variety of jumps into the pool. Some did backflips, cannon balls or belly-flops, which ended in a huge splash. Others did more timid jumps or simply stepped in with the help of firefighters waded in the pool for assistance.
Costumes were also in varieties. Some teams wore matching shirts, and some dressed in themed costumes. One group dressed as “Star Wars” characters, including “Disco Chewbacca,” Luke Skywalker and a combination of Wayne from the movie “Wayne’s World” and Obi-Wan Kenobi to create ”Obi-Wayne Kenobi.”
Another team of four made shirts that read “BRR!” when they stood in a line. They plunged in honor of The Hope Gallery and its inspiration, 12-year-old Hope Parker, who died a few days before the event Saturday.
The gallery was named in honor of Parker and works to empower young people with autism and other disabilities by focusing on getting young adults involved with job skill development, vocational activities and the community in general.
A moment of silence was taken for Parker and Chris Bowling, a Special Olympics athlete from Marion County who also recently passed away.
Natalie Underwood, one of the “BRR!” team members, is a volunteer at The Hope Gallery.
“We’re doing this for them,” she said.
This was their first time plunging, and all four members said they were scared. But team member Mike Colombe said it is worth it to give back to the Special Olympics.
“Being able to give back in some way and (being) able to send a positive message is important,” Colombe said. “The spirit here is really cool.”
Since the Greenwood Polar Plunge began last year as the only plunge on the southside of Indianapolis, the event is already growing, said Kevin Aders, central regional manager for Special Olympics Indiana.
Aders said there were groups of people from the area who did the plunge every year, but had to travel to the nearest plunge event at Eagle Creek Park, a 40-minute drive to the northwest side of Indianapolis.
“Besides those people not having to travel, they’ve now recruited (donors) and friends,” Aders said. “It’s growing, and it didn’t take anything away from the Eagle Creek plunge.”
They expect the Greenwood Polar Plunge to grow more next year, he said.
