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Polar Plunge brings hundreds into the chilly waters of Lake Ontario for Special Olympics

Swimmers run into a freezing Lake Ontario while participating in the Polar Plunge on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.
Lauren Petracca
/
For WXXI News
Swimmers run into a freezing Lake Ontario while participating in the Polar Plunge on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

Close to 1,500 people, many dressed in a variety of wild costumes, braved the cold waters of Lake Ontario at Ontario Beach Park on Sunday for the annual Polar Plunge sponsored by Special Olympics.

It’s a fundraiser for that organization, and even though participants were lucky they weren’t facing the kind of air temperatures that were around on Saturday, the water was still plenty cold, with the water in Lake Ontario in the mid-30-degree range.

Melinda Pizzo was one of the plungers. She was also celebrating her 25th birthday on Sunday.

Her outfit was frozen, and while Pizzo is not crazy about jumping into cold water, she said that she really wanted to do this event in celebration of her nephew, who has autism.

“I love the cause, I love the money going to that cause, it’s amazing!" Pizzo said. "I’m not a fan of the cold, but it’s for a great cause, it’s all worth it.”

Erica Irwin was at the event for the fourth time. She’s a nurse from Greece, and taking part in this event has special meaning for her.

“I work for kids with special needs and the Special Olympics is going to benefit them when they get much older,” Irwin said. “My kids are special pre-K, and when they get older, they’ll definitely benefit from this special event that we’re doing.”

A particularly brave Polar Plunge participant fully experiences the freezing water of Lake Ontario on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.
Lauren Petracca
/
For WXXI News
A particularly brave Polar Plunge participant fully experiences the freezing water of Lake Ontario on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

Danielle King of Rochester was making her first Polar Plunge. She is a dialysis nurse and also an Army veteran, and she is glad she took a chance and came out to participate.

“Just being back home and indulging in all that Rochester has to offer, it was a really good time,” King said. “I was really nervous, but I just put on my carnival feathers and I just came out to enjoy the festivities the people.”

Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Brendan Hurley said it was easy to tell most of the participants didn’t want to spend any more time in the water than they needed to.

"You saw a couple of people run in and you realized when it hit them, their face changed a little bit," Hurley said. "But again, it’s for a great cause and people were willing to rough this cold water for Special Olympics.”

Special Olympics has 17 of these types of events across New York state during the year, and the Rochester event was the first one for 2023. It’s estimated it raised more than $300,000.

WXXI's Rebecca Rafferty contributed to this story.

Swimmers run into a freezing Lake Ontario while participating in the Polar Plunge on Sunday, February 5, 2023.
Lauren Petracca
/
For WXXI News
Swimmers run into a freezing Lake Ontario while participating in the Polar Plunge on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.