While many of us were hiding from the cold weather, the members of the Ocean Science Club embraced the below freezing temperatures.
On Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 members of the Ocean Science Club participated in this year’s 13th annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge.
The Polar Bear Plunge is a charity event that asks men and women to take a dip into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay in order to raise money for Special Olympics Maryland.
In efforts to transform the science based club into an organization that is more community service active, club President and senior Justin Gilchrist, and Vice President and senior Alex Davies, decided that their club would participate in the plunge as a way to serve the community.
Ocean Science Club departed from Millersville University at 9:30 a.m. and parked at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. From there, the students were shuttled to Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, MD at noon to witness a bittersweet spectacle.
There were thousands of people and activities to watch, such as a costume contest. Senior John Potter described the atmosphere as, “harmonious chaos, everyone was in good spirits, but not, knowing what they soon had to do.”
The day of the plunge was just above freezing at 36 degrees and windy, the water however was covered with ice at 33 degrees.
At 1 p.m. it came time to plunge. The students ran into the water and after 20 seconds ran right back out. Some students submerged their entire bodies into the icy bay, while others went up to their mid torso. Many participants seemed to be unfazed by the cold waters and were asked to exit the Chesapeake for the safety of the divers that were lifeguarding.
“Terrifying,” was the word Potter used to describe the experience. “You initially think this is cold, [but] when you run out your muscles feel like they are ripping apart, everything is so tight.”
The plungers then had to run 300 yards wearing only their bathing suits, in the cold and wind. Not knowing where to put their dry clothes, they left them 300 yards away. The club believed that running to their clothes in 36 degrees was the worst part of the experience.
The day turned out to be a success.
The club raised a total of $1595.00 from 35 sponsors. The Polar Bear Plunge raised 2.5 million dollars, with over 11,000 plungers.
Ocean Science Club is planning on plunging again next year.
Davies assured, “Plunging was a good experience, people coming together for a good cause, and not dying of hypothermia, I would definitely do it again.”
If you would like to join ocean science club, email millersvilleosc@gmail.com for information on upcoming events.
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