Freezin’ for fun and funds

About 50 dedicated and new plungers ran into the frigid water of Ferdinand State Forest’s lake Sunday afternoon.

The nearly 60-degree sunny day stood in stark contrast to the 31-degree weather, at least according to the facial expression and screams from those few that ran into the water.

They even paid at least $20 to do so.

The event began in 2011 as the Plunge for Paul to help raise funds for Pine Ridge Elementary student Paul Fischer’s medical expenses. Paul’s father, Jay, organized the event to offset the costs of the treatments his son was undergoing for a rare malignant brain tumor. That first year raised nearly $10,000.

The Plunge has continued annually since then – skipping 2021 — and, at the end of Sunday’s activities, total funds raised over that time had eclipsed $50,000. The funds will support Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center and area food banks.

Here are some photos of the event.