The Coolest Event in Louisville got an earlier jump than usual this year, literally, with the addition of a new breed of bear to what has now become two days of fun.
This year, Polar Bear Plunge festivities opened with the first Kentucky SuperPlunge. Four brave bears — Jami Benner of Louisville Metro Corrections, Brian Bray of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Felipe Hernandez of Louisville Metro Police and Katrina Johnson of the Kentucky Air National Guard — accepted a challenge to try to raise a minimum of $5,000 and then take the Plunge into the Ohio River every hour for 24 straight hours. The payoff was getting to spend the entire 24 hours on the luxury houseboat Walkabout Blues, which was stuffed with food and drinks and flat screen TVs. The boat use was arranged by Kentuckiana Yacht Sales. The SuperPlunge group made its first jump at 11 am on Friday, Feb 23 and soldiered on through the night until the final plunge at 10 am on Saturday. As a group they raised more than $13,600 in support of the Plunge.
They became the first four of more than 1,350 people who hit the Ohio River in support of Special Olympics athletes in Kentucky. The total broke the record for plungers set the previous year. This year's total raised also topped $300,000, the first time over that milestone for any Special Olympics Kentucky fundraiser.
After the Supers took their last Plunge, it was just about time for the main Polar Bear Plunge to get underway. And just as it has for its entire nine-years in Louisville, the Plunge opened with one of the wildest costume contests this side of Halloween. There were a number of fantastic entries this year, including a group from Floyd Central High School that dressed as several different rock bands under the team name "School of Rock" and some guys who were past winners of the costume contest (as mermaids in 2005) who brought some new Polar Bears with them this year and dressed as football players and cheerleaders -- although with the guys as cheerleaders and the women as the football players. But it was political humor that the judging panel — which included Louisville Police Chief Robert White, Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey, Louisville Fire Chief Greg Frederick, Louisville Waterfront Development President David Karem, U of L Assistant Football Coach Greg Nord, Kentucky Air National Guard Base Commander Col. Mark Krause, Special Olympics Board Chair Brad Smith of Mountjoy and Bressler and Special Olympics President/CEO Dave Kerchner — giving this year's group prize to the "Bridge Painters" who carried a sign decrying the slow progress of the painting of the Kennedy Bridge that connects Louisville to Indiana on I-65. The individual or pairs prize went to a twosome that was dressed as the Polar Express.
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Once the costume crowd got off the Wharf it was time for the plunging to start. This year's Plunge was led off by representatives from the Polar Bear Plunge's newest partner, WAVE 3 TV. Five members of the WAVE 3 team hit the water, including General Manager Steve Langford, along with Nick Ulmer, David McArthur, Shannon Kaiser, Keith Kaiser and Jon Paul Johnson. The WAVE 3 team was followed by another celebrity group — The A Team, led by Louisville Courier-Journal Buzz Columnist Angie Fenton. Her team included Louisville Fire Head Coach Tommy Johnson, Gary Demling of CBS Outdoor and Craig "The Ref" Weickel.
Several large groups helped swell the Plunges numbers in 2007, but three stood out as Polar Cup winners for being the largest group in the Corporate, Law Enforcement and Fraternity/Sorority/School Group Divisions. The Heartland Freezer Pops from Heartland Payment Systems finally wrested control of the Corporate Division Polar Cup after making a good run at the trophy in 2006. Heartland had 57 people take the Plunge, raising more than $16,700 — a record for any team at any Kentucky Polar Bear Plunge and a $10,000 increase over last year's team total.
The Kentucky Department of Corrections team claimed the Law Enforcement Polar Cup for the second consecutive year. The Corrections team had 28 Plungers, including State Corrections Commissioner John Rees. The team raised $9,287.
Like the Corporate Division, the School Division crowned a new champion this year as the Floyd Central Highlanders had 37 people take part in the Plunge, raising $13,874 — the third-highest single-team total in Kentucky Plunge history.
One reason for Floyd Central's tremendous total was the effort of the group's coordinator Laura Wells. Wells raised more than $2,300 on her own and was crowned Queen of the Polar Bear Plunge. With two-time defending Plunge King Brian Bray taking part in the SuperPlunge, that left an opening for a new King and first-year Polar Bear and Christ Church United Methodist Senior Pastor George Strunk of Louisville walked right through it. In his first Plunge Strunk raised an impressive $7,025 for Special Olympics to take home the Plunge King crown.
Perhaps the most impressive feat of the day, though was turned in by long-time Polar Bear Dorothy Fulner. Dorothy took the plunge again this year to retain her crown as the Oldest Polar Bear at 80-years-old. Youngest Polar Bear recognition went to six-year-olds Rachael Gilkey and Lukas Kessinger.
Our thanks to everyone who made the Plunge such a tremendous success, especially our emcees — David McArthur and Carrie Weil from WAVE 3; Big Joe and
Skinny J and Mo from New Rock 105.1/104.3 WLRS and Mike "The Wild One" Shannon of 99.7 DJX— and all of our sponsors — Joe's Crab Shack who once again played fabulous host to the event; WAVE 3, 102.3 The Max, New Rock 105.1/104.3 WLRS and 99.7 WDJX all of whom dedicated air time to promoting the event; CBS Outdoor, which provided billboards; promotional partners Louisville Mojo, which also had team jump for the fourth consecutive year, and louisville.com; Walnut Ridge Pool and Patio, which provided hot tubs for the event; The Kentucky Law Enforcement Torch Run, which produced the event and also had several members take the Plunge and AAA Kentucky which provided a Caribbean cruise for two on Carnival Cruise Lines that went to a Polar Bear drawn from qualifiers at all five Kentucky Polar Bear Plunges this year. For the second year in a row, that prize went to a Louisville Plunger. This year it was Stuart Katz, who jumped in the Louisville event. Thanks as well to Krispy Kreme and Starbucks who both provided food and coffee or hot chocolate for the Polar Bears and spectators.
We also, of course need to thank the men and women of Louisville Metro Police and Fire Departments who crewed the Louisville One and River One patrol boats that make the Plunge possible.
You can view and purchase photos of the event this year on Shutterfly at http://07louisvilleplunge.shutterfly.com.
The Louisville Polar Bear Plunge was one of six Plunges in Kentucky in 2006. The events produced records in the state for both participants and dollars raised. Polar Bear Plunges in Lake Cumberland, Lexington, Louisville, Newport and Owensboro saw more than 2,150 people take the Plunge, raising nearly $475,000 for Special Olympics.
For information about sponsorships or how to participate in the 2008 Polar Bear Plunge either as a sponsor, participant or team leader, contact Candace Sanders, Special Olympics Kentucky Special Events Coordinator at 326-5002 or 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at csanders@soky.org.
