Nine "polar bears" were spotted at the Tiftarea YMCA on New Year's Day, and they gathered to raise a record amount of cash for local nonprofit organizations.
The annual "Polar Bear Plunge" at the Tiftarea YMCA pool on Monday was the most successful ever, said Jason Bishoff, CEO of the YMCA, with a record $15,530 raised for participating organizations.
“This year’s Polar Bear Plunge went fantastic. We had nine contestants representing nine organizations,” Bishoff said. “It was cold on Monday, but not as cold as Sunday.”
Sam Wright, representing Brother Charlie’s Rescue Center, was the top fundraiser for the annual plunge. Dressed in a hot dog costume to represent feeding the homeless at Brother Charlie’s (and his restaurant, Checkers in Tifton), Wright raised $8,750 with his plunge into the icy water. As the top fundraiser, his organization – Brother Charlie's – will keep that entire amount.
The other eight “plungers” split their fundraising totals between their representative organizations and the YMCA. They were: Mike Beeman, representing the ABAC Foundation; Nick McClellan, Families for Christ; Bret Wagenhorst, Meals on Wheels; Mac Sims, Steadfast Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation; Vicki Taft, Tiftarea Hospice; Russ Flowers, Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence; Kim Royal, Union Dream Center; and David Pollack, YMCA Pickleball Scholarships.
In addition to fundraising, the event builds awareness for the participating nonprofit organizations, Bishoff said. People have been plunging from the slide into the pool on Jan. 1 for years, but the fundraising aspect of the Plunge began in 2015, the brainchild of the late Rick Hawkins, who was the YMCA's operations manager.
Bishoff also noted that a grand opening will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, for the YMCA’s newly rehabilitated and furnished Women’s Only Exercise Area.
Also, the pickleball courts in the Y's airnaseum adjacent to the pool area will be dedicated in March or April. Six new courts with new flooring are already in place with pickleball play two nights a week – 6-8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.
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