What’s a Penguin Plunge? It’s crazy people who run into the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean wearing summer garb for a winter swim…but it’s all for a good cause, so we’ll keep the judgments on your sanity to ourselves. On February 6th and 7th, the Special Olympics of New Hampshire has somehow convinced people for 11 years in a row to participate in the annual Penguin Plunge (Dear Special Olympics: where and how do we access these persuasion skills?) and better yet, the public is welcome to watch and cheer them on!
This year, there will be two plunges and lots of special guests: the first takes place on Saturday, February 6th at 12:00pm on Hampton Beach (right across the street from the Casino) and welcomes high school students and faculty swimmers. The second plunge, on Sunday, Februrary 7th, kicks off with a costumed parade led by WMUR-TV meteorologist Mike Hadad, Kevin Skarupa and WOKQ’s Mark Ericson at 11:30pm. There will be three “waves” of plungers headed for the drink (no, not scotch, this is a chem-free event) totaling about 700 plungers in all!
Brrr. Ready to warm up? Dunkin’ Donuts will have a coffee and warm beverages for sale outside the Casino, as well as Plunge souvenirs. You want to take the plunge yourself? Registration is still open! Visit www.sonh.org for more information. Proceeds benefit the Special Olympics of New Hampshire.
Bundle up the family and come on down to the beach for a really unique event. The plungers love the cheering support and it’s all for a great cause. Go get your fun on!
The Special Olympics of New Hampshire (SONH) is a non-profit organization providing sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with mental challenges. Currently 3,200 participants and thousands of volunteers, friends and family members take part in SONH activities. If you are interested in donating SONH, or for more information on the Penguin Plunge, please visit http://www.sonh.org/penguinplunge/.
Photos from last year’s event:
