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More than 3,500 Polar Bears raise $1 million

Special Olympics Delaware Plunge is second warmest in 32-year history of event
A crowd heads into the Atlantic Ocean during the 32nd Special Olympics Delaware Lewes Polar Bear Plunge in Rehoboth Beach. As plunge days go, the 2023 event was among the warmest in three decades. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
Ron MacArthur
February 5, 2023

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More than 3,500 people headed into the Atlantic Ocean for a quick dip Feb. 5 at the 32nd Special Olympics Delaware Lewes Polar Bear Plunge in Rehoboth Beach. This year’s theme was Be Bold. Get Cold.

Organizers say this year’s event has raised more than $1 million so far to support the 4,200 Special Olympics athletes in the state. More than $15 million has been raised through the event over the past three decades. 

This year’s plunge recorded the second-warmest ocean water (42 degrees) and the fourth-warmest air temperature (48 degrees) in the history of the event.

The event has a unique history. Special Olympics Delaware approached the Lewes Polar Bears in 1991 with an idea to designate one of their five annual plunges to benefit Special Olympics. They agreed, and the first plunge took place at Cape Henlopen State Park in 1992 with 78 participants raising $7,000. The event remained at the park until 1998 when it moved to Rehoboth Beach.

This year’s event included the 5K Run to the Plunge, a chili cookout, entertainment, an after-plunge party, ice and sand sculpting, and wings and ice cream at the Fire & Ice Festival.

For more information, go to plungede.org.

 

“Dinosaur” Phil Heath emerges from the ocean after taking a dip during the Special Olympics Delaware Polar Bear Plunge.
Rehoboth Beach is packed as the horn sounds to start the Polar Bear Plunge at 1 p.m.
It’s the quickest event in Delaware. It takes most plungers just a few minutes to run into the ocean and turn around. And the colder the water is, the faster they run. The official count of plungers for the Feb. 5 event was 3,652.
Some of the more than 3,500 participants head for a quick dip in the Atlantic Ocean.
Members of the Orange Team make a quick turn to get out of the cold ocean waters.
The plungers’ faces say it all. Even though the ocean water was 42 degrees (the second warmest on record), it was still a jolt to the system.
One plunger could not contain himself as he does a handstand in the cold ocean water.
Mason Schaefer of Lewes is among the last plungers to leave the ocean.
Nancy and Jacob Room are ready to go with two minutes left on the plunge countdown clock.
Members of the safety team walk to their posts along the Rehoboth Beach shoreline.
The Sand Bears create one of their largest ever sand sculptures for the Polar Bear Plunge.
Members of the Diving Bear-ly Surviving team pose for a photo prior to the plunge. They are (l-r) Krista Kulp, Hunter Woodring, Mia Darbenzio and Rick Kulp.
Dressed in red, white and blue, the Polar Express Team marches along the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk.
Andy West of the Sand Bears creates a tower as part of the sand sculpture made specially for the Polar Bear Plunge.
Wawa Foundation team members are sponsors of the annual event. More than 200 employees participated in the Polar Bear Plunge.
The Shenanigan Sisters are (l-r) Lorna Wohl, Janet Fowler, Nancy Pezzino and Cheryl Miller.
Retro plungers Morgan Riley and Chelsea Hewitt dress the part as they prepare to take the plunge.
Irv Levin is where he is every plunge day – on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk accepting donations for the family’s Levin Matching Fund. This year, the family tripled the match.
A sandy polar bear keeps an eye on the proceedings on Rehoboth Beach.
Artist Jim Lauser leaves behind one of his ice creations.
Tom Haney is a two-state participant, taking part in the plunge at Sandy Point State Park in Maryland and the Delaware event in Rehoboth Beach.
Four plungers wave with Wawa Wally as their photo is taken before the plunge.
It’s every man, woman and child for themselves as a crowd heads out into the cold ocean.
Members of the Special Olympic Sussex Riptide Team pose for a photo before taking their annual plunge. SUBMITTED PHOTO
A group of polar bears has fun before the plunge. Shown (l-r) are Sharon Kawa, Doug Orban, Camie Olexovitch, Jessie Orban (in front), Anthony Smith and Borna Daftari. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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