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'Chilling' Out for Charity by Jeremy Ressing Ten years ago, during a cold winter day on the Burlington lakefront, seven firemen submerged themselves in the frigid, icy waters of Lake Champlain to raise money for the Special Olympics of Vermont. The event was relatively small, yet the firemen managed to raise two thousand dollars for their cause. The fundraiser, affectionately known as the "Penguin Plunge," became an annual event for the city.
On February 12th, 2005, Burlington's waterfront was once again the stage for this entertaining fundraiser. Although the number of participants and spectators has grown rapidly throughout the years, along with the amount of money generated, the focus of the day remained squarely on "the kids," or the althletes of the Special Olympics of Vermont.
Awards were given to the most outstanding Penguins, with Scott Leishman of the Burlington Rugby Club earning the coveted honor of the Peerless Penguin. By himself, Scott raised $3,285. Milton Schools took home the top two group prizes, as their forty-one participants earned both the Pack of Plungers and Peerless Flock awards for having the largest group from a school or college, as well as the largest group overall. The Plumage Award, given to the most creatively dressed penguins, went to the A.D. Lawton School for their "Crazy Cupid" costumes. Yet despite all the awards and costumes, the real winners were athletes of the Special Olympics of Vermont.
"Its all about the kids," explained the busdriver operating the shuttle between the waterfront and downtown Burlington. The driver, who declined to be named, lest he be recognized for actions that he refers to as "not extraordinary," has been volunteering for five years. Besides the plunge, he also drives busloads of handicapped children to the movies and on other outings. His generosity seemed bottomless, but when asked if he'd ever consider being a penguin, he replied, "Heck no! Do you know how cold that water is?"
Thousands of spectators lined the shore of Lake Champlain. Their collective attention was focused on a few hundred square feet of water left exposed after many large chunkes of ice were removed. An announcers voice intermittently boomed over the loud speaker, calling out the names and affiliations of the participants as they entered the water. I'm Walking on Sunshine started playing loudly as the Penguins began their run.
The plungers, whose age's varied from senior citizens to younge children, entered the water in alternating groups. Each penguin would go down to the water by means of a fenced off runway, submerge, and then retreat to the safety of the heated 'Penguin's Only' tent. Many participants, however, did much more than simply 'enter' the water, as people engaged in splash fights, dives, and other horseplay. One man, who must have possessed nerves of steel (or a high threshold of pain), performed a slow, methodical backstroke, arms perfectly outstretched, from one end of the icy water to the other.
A lot of penguins, most of whom had participated in the costume contest preceding the plunge, wore comical and often ridiculous outfits. The Constumes delighted the audience, though the response they recieved was dwarfed by the ovation raised when a Vermont Special Olympics athlete, a boy aided by a wheelchair, descended into the water. The crowd erupted as he made his way out of the lake and back to the tent. Over the loud speaker, the spicy Latin number I Like It Like That began to play, further contributing to the warm sensation already descended upon the gray chill of the wintry lakeside setting. For two hours I stood, balanced on a snow-covered rock overlooking a frozen lake. I clutched my hands into fists to fight the bitter chill while straining my neck to get a better view. The snow had gradually soaked through my shoes, saturating my socks, and a light yet persistent wind slowly ate through the layers of my coat. For a moment, I thought to myself, "I couldn't possibly be any colder." Then, all of a sudden, a young girl, clad in a bikini, runs by shouting excitedly. Without hesitation, she plunges headfirst into the lake. Moments later, she runs by again, no longer shouting, but instead, chattering and clutching a towel around her torso. Suddenly, I didn't feel that cold anymore. |
An Interview with a Penguin
What causes a person to jump into a frozen lake in the middle of February? For some, the charity drives them. For others, it's the excitement. For Brian Monaghan, his twentieth-eigth birthday. Brian, a first time penguin, was signed up for the event by his girlfriend as a unique birthday present. Together, the two raised $1,600 for the Special Olympics of Vermont. However, after his dip, Brian didn't look like someone who had just recieved a birthday gift. "Once you get your head under (the water), it's like a slap in the face," he explained. "It was so cold, I felt like I couldn't climb the ramp, " added his girlfriend. The two seemed fairly upbeat for only being an hour removed from the icy lake water, and although they seemed to consider their time as penguins to be a little extreme, they were still optimistic about doing it again next year. When asked whether they would consider participating in future years, the two quickly responded in unison, "We think so." |
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