PRINCETON, Ind. (WEHT) — Despite being in the middle of winter, the docks of Camp Carson on Saturday morning were lined with people in bathing suits ready to make a splash.
It was all part of the camp’s 4th annual Polar Plunge. Nearly 100 people braved the chilly water, making the leap into the lake.
“Today was much bigger than previous plunges,” says Heather Pierce. “It was probably double the size of last year.”
Some ‘plungers’ traveled hundreds of miles. Priscilla Lon and Patty Gauvatz traveled from Texas. They say this is their third Polar Plunge this year.
“It is just good to give back because we are blessed,” they say. “And some people are not as fortunate as we have been with our jobs that we have had. It is a way to give back to those who are less fortunate and maybe couldn’t come to camp this year.”
Other participants included members of the Oakland City University football team. One player says he had multiple reasons for taking the plunge.
“Three reasons: for the kids, my teammates, and for myself. This is a great challenge for me,” explains Michael Nash. “It’s like January – 40 degrees – jump in the water – who wouldn’t want to challenge themselves to do that?”
Organizers say their goal was to raise $25,000 this year to help more kids get the camp experience through scholarships and financial aid.
“We’re just really excited that we had this many people turn out and have the opportunity to send kids to camp,” says Jim Sextone.
So far, they have raised about $21,000. Once the plungers were back on land, they were welcomed back up to the cabin for warm refreshments and live music.
