Plunge from anywhere with the virtual polar plunge.
With spikes in COVID-19—and the anticipation of more by the time January gets here—the 25th annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge will be held online this year. The Maryland Polar Bear Plunge normally takes place at Sandy Point State Park and serves as a fundraiser for Special Olympics Maryland.
Instead of plunging into the frigid waters of the Chesapeake Bay, participants are asked to find creative ways of plunging on their own. Plungers are encouraged to send in videos of themselves during a two-month virtual competition timeframe. There will be prizes for Plungers of the Week and Plunger of the Year.
Organizers said in a statement, “This was a very difficult decision to make but the health and safety of our Special Olympics Maryland community is of the utmost importance to us. Your support of the Polar Bear Plunge has a direct impact on the 8,716 athletes of Special Olympics Maryland.”
The virtual Polar Bear Plunge is held from December 8, 2020, to January 31, 2021. The cool thing about the online event is that anyone from anywhere can participate.
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Last year’s Polar Bear Plunge raised $3.5 million.
The Anne Arundel County police department is coming up with creative ways to do their plunging.
In a statement, police detective Tara Ross said, “We are planning to use large inflated pools and filling those with ice waters and having the recruits dunk in those,” Russ said. “For the whole department, we are anxious to find something where it is smalls groups and on different days.”
The Maryland Polar Bear Plunge is a great group activity for schools, military and law enforcement, coworkers, and team-building experiences. You can register or donate by visiting the official plunge website.
Ways to Participate in an Online Polar Plunge
- Use inflatable pools filled with icy water.
- Fill a bucket a la the popular Ice Bucket Challenge of several years ago. Cold water is cold water. Dumping it over your head is just as good as hopping into it.
- Don a swimsuit and step into an ice-filled bathtub.
- Visit the local lake and take a quick plunge.
- Don't forget to have somebody documenting with a video camera.
Are you planning to do a virtual plunge? What creative methods are you going to use? Let us know in the comments.
