Hundreds Jump Into Ice Cold Delaware River For Charity
By Mike Dougherty
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- More than five-hundred brave souls stripped down and jumped into the frigid Delaware River Saturday afternoon -- and they did so for charity.
The polar plungers at Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem were freezin' for a reason.
"Oh I'm a savage! That felt dangerous," said Steve Henry, "That was scary!"
Henry said there is nothing to prepare you for the feeling.
"Very numb. I only have a top half," he said. "It really hurts at the bottom, but it was really good! It was fun."
As cold at the water was, the conditions were apparently an improvement from last year's plunge, according to some.
"(It was) better than last year, to be honest," said Colleen. "Last year, they were actually breaking up the ice so we made it into the water. So this year was better."
And it was for a good cause. Demika Poole, with the Special Olympics, didn't hop in, but she did help organize the event.
"It's helping our athletes compete and travel and pay for all of those expenses," she said. "We don't charge their families, so everything we do for our athletes is free of charge."
Poole said it's always a fun event because a lot of people show up to cheer, as well as watch their friends and family suffer for charity.
This was one of seven plunges in Pennsylvania. All together, Poole said, they raised more than $1-million.
