Fourteenth annual Dewey Dunk is biggest yet
Neither the 26-mph wind gusts nor the feel-like temperatures in the 30s could stop nearly 120 people ringing in the new year by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean as part of the 14th annual Dewey Dunk put on by the Dewey Business Partnership.
The 2025 Dunk, which took place Jan. 1 at the Dagsworthy Avenue beach, was the largest one yet. According to DBP Executive Director Kelly Palladino, 80 participants preregistered, and around 40 more showed up on the day, plus spectators.
“It was fun, not as bad as I expected,” said Chris Jacky, a first-time dunker. “The half-second when you get out is the worst part.”
Volunteers from the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company attended to ensure participant safety. Some, donning neon-yellow safety vests and protective equipment, stood waist-deep in the water to establish a boundary line for participants.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, after which she completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she traveled to New Zealand to cover the Women’s World Cup as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets like The Washington Post and FOX Sports. She also has a variety of other reporting experience, covering crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware, native, she’s happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
