WILDWOOD – Close to 1,000 hearty souls plunged into the Atlantic Ocean behind the Wildwoods Convention Center Jan. 14 to support Special Olympics athletes.
“Just over a thousand registered,” said Carmen Bannon, chief community affairs officer for Special Olympics New Jersey.
The actual number of plungers was estimated at 900, as some who register do not go into the ocean, as the Special Olympics kicked off its plunge season with its Polar Bear Plunge in Wildwood.
“This is a great turnout,” Bannon said. “We’ve reached our goal.”
Bannon said the event in Wildwood is 11 years old and is similar to the plunge held yearly in Seaside Heights but considered the Wildwood event more family friendly.
“This is more approachable,” he said.
Approachable and family-friendly in the sense that many people are there to support family members who are Special Olympics athletes, or those who have passed on. A group from Stratford was there to honor their father and uncle, who had passed away from cancer.
The Aloha Avengers, another family group, gathered from places such as Philadelphia, Colorado, Michigan, and North Carolina – all in the name of fun. The group of about 20 dressed in a “Blues Brothers” theme, complete with black suits, ties, fedoras, and sunglasses. Included was the “Penguin” – the brothers’ nickname for the nun who ran the reform school at which Elwood and Jake Blues spent several years.
A more colorful group were the COBS, a group of local women who are, by their own admission, something on the “crazy” side. Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera confirmed that his mother is both a group member and somewhat crazy, adding, “She’s 79 going on 29.”
The plunge in Wildwood is presented by the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) to benefit thousands of Special Olympics New Jersey athletes. LETR is a statewide campaign that raises money for the Special Olympics.
The Special Olympics has been around for over 50 years and provides free training and athletic competition in 24 event categories for thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, completely free of charge.
According to Bannon, this year’s Wildwood event raised about $300,000 for the Special Olympics.
Thoughts? Questions? Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
