Feb. 8, 2007
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- While others nestle up to a warm fire and hot chocolate as the weather gets colder, the Old Dominion sailing team decided to put on bathing suits and take a dip into the frigid Atlantic Ocean. The team raised nearly $2,000 for Special Olympics Virginia at the 15th Annual Polar Plunge last Saturday. Nearly two dozen of ODU's sailors took to the icy waters of the Atlantic as they helped raise a record $768,000.
The Monarchs used the time between the fall and spring season schedule to raise $1,812 as a team. The temperature climbed to a balmy 45º on Saturday with water temperatures from 40-50º.
"When I read about it coming up I thought it would be a great reachout opportunity for the team," said Head Coach Mitch Brindley. "They really enjoyed it; they had a lot of fun doing it."
The plunge dates back to 1993 when Adventure Club East and Special Olympics Virginia collaborated to create the event. According to the event website, the Polar Plunge has raised over 2.5 million dollars in its fifteen year existence.
The eighteen Old Dominion sailors are just the most recent of over 17,500 people who have taken the plunge for charity. For more information on the Polar Plunge, access the website www.polarplunge.com.
2006-07 Sailing Pre-Plunge: