Through the snow and the cold, eight members of the Phi Alpha Delta Hoffman Chapter from the Chase College of Law and their team participated in the 2013 Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics on Feb. 2.
PAD has been participating in the Polar Plunge annually, at least since Casey Robinson, group president, has been in law school, she said. The plunge is one of the few philanthropy events they do per semester.
“Those who revitalized our chapter started the tradition of doing the Polar Plunge,” Robinson said, “we’re just continuing that.”
“The most positive experience I’ve had is just seeing how people who don’t normally get involved come together, and are so willing to do something and to sacrifice time by raising money and going out in the freezing water, all for a good cause.”
Before jumping in the freezing cold water set up in a pool in Joe’s Crab Shack parking lot in Bellevue, Ky., participants of the plunge had to hand over their shoes and jackets and wait for emcees Jon Jon from Q102 and Stephanie Woods from Fox19 to count down.
“You get up there and you’re freezing anyway and then jumping in, it’s just cold. There are no other words for it,” Robinson said. “You’re shaking so hard and your body just goes numb.”
PAD won an award from their national committee for the best community service project for their participation in Polar Plunge in 2011, according to Robinson. They raised over $3,000 in both 2011 and 2012.
This year they set a goal to raise $1,500 but fell just a bit short of that goal. Robinson said money raised is heavily funded by donations from family and friends.
At the time of the event, according to Special Olympics Kentucky, $130,000 had been raised. This event is the first of six Polar Plunge events in Kentucky alone.
“In 2012, the six events saw a record of more than 3,000 people take the Plunge, raising more than $750,000 for Special Olympics,” according to Special Olympics Kentucky. The event costs a minimum of $75 per jumper.
Robinson said she can see this event being one that she participates in beyond her collegiate years.