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Spectators and participants are invited to take part in the 10th annual Polar Plunge this weekend at Canoe Creek State Park, where the water might be frigid but the camaraderie will help keep everyone warm as funds are raised for Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.
Because air temperatures for Freezin' for a Reason are expected to be in the 50s, organizers said they are hoping for a large turnout.
Registration for the plunge opens at 9 a.m. Saturday. General registration is $50 with all registrants receiving a Winter Games Plunge T-shirt.
In addition, those "Too Chicken to Plunge" can cheer on individuals and teams from the beach and can also sign up with a $50 donation.
Opening ceremonies will begin on the beach at 11:15 a.m., with the main event starting shortly after.
Pennsylvania State Police officer Jacob Rhymstine will light the Flame of Hope torch with a local Special Olympics athlete, and the pair will carry the torch down the beach to signal the start of the plunge.
As is tradition, officers from the Altoona Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police will be the first to brave the water, with the rest of the 400 estimated plungers following suit.
"I'm just so excited to host the 10th anniversary (plunge)," said Canoe Creek State Park manager Joe Basil.
Basil, alongside his fellow park rangers, has helped coordinate the event for the past several years, working closely with Special Olympics, the Geeseytown Rescue Squad and numerous sponsors to ensure everything runs smoothly.
In previous years, when the temperature was lower, plungers jumped through a hole cut in the thick ice layer over the lake. While the water temperature will still be cold, ice shouldn't be a concern this year and members of the Geeseytown Rescue Squad, who will act as lifeguards, can leave their ice saws in the truck.
"It's always a neat event," Basil said. "It's supposed to be around
50 degrees and sunny so we suppose there will be a great turnout."
Basil said he is excited to see so many people attend the park in the winter, which is usually the off-season.
According to Basil, the event draws approximately 450-500 nonplunging spectators per year, depending on weather conditions, who can take part in a "chicken dance" on shore.
The event will also feature live music provided by a Fireside Events DJ from Pittsburgh and free food and refreshments courtesy of Sheetz, one of the main corporate sponsors of the plunge.
Karly Heath, Special Olympics stewardship manager and law enforcement liaison, is in charge of the fundraiser, and works alongside Basil to ensure the event is successful.
"He has been very supportive of (Special Olympics of Pennsylvania) and of our use of Canoe Creek all these years," Heath said of Basil.
The goal this year is to raise $130,000 for Special Olympics of Pennsylvania and fundraising efforts have been ongoing for quite some time, with some teams contributing more than $70,000 to the total of $126,200 raised by Wednesday.
This "fantastic" result has been more than Heath anticipated for this point in the fundraiser. "We are really excited to be so close to our goal and to giving that back to our athletes," she said.
Some of the biggest contributors so far have been law enforcement agencies, who, according to Heath, play a really big part in the fundraiser.
Beyond the Polar Plunge, law enforcement has a really great relationship with Special Olympics statewide, who regularly donate money and manpower to their events, Heath said.
"Whenever we have an event, a fundraiser or anything, we know they'll be right there beside us," she said. This close bond extends to "literally everything" Special Olympics does, she added.
"We are really hoping to hit the $130,000, and to show people what (Special Olympics of Pennsylvania) is all about, that we're all about being inclusive, and about fun," Heath said.
Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 815-946-7535.