The 2008 Lexington Polar Bear Plunge got off to a much earlier start than usual with the addition of the first ever Lexington Super Plunge. Started in Louisville in 2007, the Super Plunge involves an extra-dedicated group of Polar Bears who raise money for the honor of making extra jumps into the water. In Lexington this year, five Super Plungers rose to the challenge, raising $2008 each and jumping every hour for eight straight hours.
The first Lexington Super Plungers — Kenny Merritt, Carl Edmonson and Charles Hannan from Plunge Sponsor Toyota and Cookie Crews and Laura Simpson from the Kentucky Department of Corrections and the Kentucky Law Enforcement Torch Run — arrived at Applebee's Park at 5:45 am to make their first jump before the sun even rose at 6 am.
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The guys from CMTA Engineers defended their
Costume Contest crown this year with an
impressive recreation of Wham! |
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The Super Plungers had two more jumps to make before the other 270 Polar Bears who joined them even began arriving for registration for the Plunge. Once they did start arriving though, it was clear that there would be some tremendous efforts by teams and individuals on behalf of Special Olympics athletes in Kentucky.
As always, the festivities got underway with the annual costume contest. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Georgetown Plant President Steve St. Angelo and Lexington Legends President Alan Stein returned for a third straight year to judge the event, joined this year by Special Olympics athlete and Global Messenger Maria Wiese. The contest was a close one as always with many great costumes including a Football Tailgate party by the Team from Toyota, but in the end the group from CMTA Engineers defended their Costume Contest crown dressed as a very convincing George Michael and the crew from the 80s Pop Band Wham!
This year's Lexington Plunge brought out what may be the single largest group ever to participate in any Special Olympics Kentucky Plunge. Madison County Special Olympics brought a Plunge Team of 83 Polar Bears — many from fraternities and sororities at Eastern Kentucky University— to take the Plunge, retaining their Polar Cup title in the Corporate/Civic Team Division. The group raised $6,413.
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The Team from Toyota, including Super Plungers Kenny Merritt, Charles Hannan (center in red shirts and gray shorts) and Carl Edmonson (right), get ready to Plunge. Toyota Team Members Raised more than $7,000 in addition to the Company's contribution to the event. |
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One other group was able to defend its 2007 Polar Cup and that was the Kentucky Department of Corrections. AS in 2007, 12 Corrections officers participated in the Plunge; however, this year's 12 raised $2,689.19 — almost $2,000 more than the previous year.
The Fraternity/Sorority/School Division Polar Cup went to a first-time winner this year as the Delta Gamma Sorority chapter from the University of Kentucky brought 36 Polar Bear to the Plunge, raising $1,863.80.
This year the Polar Bear Plunge added a new award for the team that raised the most money in support of Special Olympics. This year, not surprisingly, that award went to the Team Members from Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky's Georgetown plant. This year 35 Toyota Team Members or their family members took part raising $7,772 in addition to the company's $5,000 sponsorship commitment to the Plunge.
Among the Toyota participants was this year's Queen of the Plunge, Kathleen Grogan who raised $1,060. Brandon Drake repeated as the King of the Plunge, raising $1,840.
In all the 2008 Lexington Polar Bear Plunge Raised more than $65,000 for Special Olympics.
See more photos here!
Special Olympics thanks everyone who made the Polar Bear Plunge such a wonderful event, especially the event committee and the event sponsors — The Lexington Legends Baseball Club and Applebee's Park, especially Alan Stein, Frank Bryant and Tiffany King; Toyota Motor Manufacturing; Texas Roadhouse and Bruce Stebbins; Clear Channel Radio Lexington — 104.5 The Cat, 98.1 The Bull, 100.1 Double Q, Magic 105.5, Newsradio 630 and Mix 94.5; Action News36; AAA Travel and Season's Catering. We also need to thank the Lexington Police Department for their help with security and crowd control barriers, and of course the Lexington Fire Department who fills the pool every year.
The Lexington Polar Bear Plunge is one of five Plunges in Kentucky in 2008. The events include Polar Bear Plunges in Lake Cumberland, Lexington, Louisville, Newport, and Owensboro. The events combined to raise nearly $500,000 this year.
We hope you'll join us for the 2009 Lexington Polar Bear Plunge, which will be held in January or February 2009. For more information about how you can be involved in the Plunge as a sponsor or participant, contact Courtney Sullivan-Staples, Special Olympics Kentucky Special Events Director at 800-633-7403 or 502-695-8222, or click on her name to send an e-mail.
King of the Plunge — Brandon Drake , Lexington; $1840.00 raised
Queen of the Plunge — Kathleen Grogan , Georgetown; $1,060.00 raised
Polar Cup Corporate Division — Madison County Special Olympics (Parks & Rec); 83 members, $6,143 raised
Polar Cup School Division — Delta Gamma; 36 members, $1,863.80 raised
Polar Cup Law Enforcement Division — Kentucky Department of Corrections; 12 members, $2,698.19 raised
Costume Contest Winners — "Wham!" (CMTA Engineers)
