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YORK, Maine — Sleepless and freezing, Scott Ogden trekked again and again into the night, returning to the Atlantic Ocean every hour for one more plunge.
Ogden dove into the water at Ogunquit Beach 24 times to raise $7,645 for the Special Olympics as part of Maine’s first-ever Super Plunge on March 29-30. Hosted by the Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run, the event had 15 plungers from across law enforcement take an icy dive into the Atlantic every hour for 24 hours to raise money for the games.
The event raised more than $80,000 for the games, held in Maine in February with the national games scheduled for June 20-26. Ogden said the request for volunteers to apply for the plunge went out after the Jan. 1 Lobster Dip for the same cause.
“I decided it was something that I could do both physically and mentally,” Ogden said. “I thought I’d be able to raise a decent amount of money.”
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The Super Plunge has been done in other states like Connecticut and Rhode Island, so Odgen felt confident it was safe to dive in the icy water so many times in one day. He also said the team had a good setup at the Norseman Resort that allowed them to quickly get inside after the plunge. The team plunged in their bathing suits, wearing T-shirts featuring pictures of Special Olympics athletes.
The first plunge was at noon on March 29. Plungers only had to get their head completely submerged in the water. After that, he and his teammates were allowed to rush back to the warmth of the Norseman to wait for the next hour to come.
“Make each plunge as short as possible,” Ogden said. “Get totally underwater, get right out.”
Plunges could be refreshing given the water’s temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, Ogden said, especially as the night darkened and the event cut into sleeping hours.
“Some people tried to get little naps in,” Ogden said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to take a 10-minute nap and wake up again.”
Ogden said he started feeling the effects of sleep deprivation around 3 a.m. He said jumping in the water woke him up, though. By sunup, Ogden said he felt a little rejuvenated.
More challenging than the cold water itself was getting back and forth from the water.
“High tide was honestly a lot easier than low tide,” Ogden said. “I think the getting out of the water and running back up inside was definitely the hard part.”
The plungers were always buddied up, so they weren’t diving into the water alone. They also had a good amount of people who came to cheer them on, according to Ogden. In the night and early morning, when fewer people were there with them, Ogden still had people following him online.
“People were reaching out and checking on me, making sure, seeing how it was going,” Ogden said. “There was definitely a group outside. Got some cowbells ringing.”
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Ogden, 35, has been with the York Police Department for nine years. He has participated in past fundraisers for the Special Olympics like the Lobster Plunge and the torch run held by law enforcement.
Ogden said he first became involved with the Special Olympics in college when he volunteered to help run the games. He said working with the athletes showed him a new side to the event and the heart the athletes put into the games.
“When you actually see how important the Special Olympics are to the athletes and how much it means to them, it really made me have that connection,” Ogden said. “It’s so important to them.”
Ogden said he has done fundraisers before, like the Lobster Dip Plunge. He said doing the Super Plunge seems to have attracted more donations by upping the ante for plungers. For Ogden, he said, it pays to go a little bigger when raising money for Special Olympics. He said he has historically brought in about $1,200 when doing the Lobster Dip.
“I think once you throw out there that we’re doing this 24 times in 24 hours, it gets people’s attention,” Ogden said. “Very tired, but well worth it.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York officer’s 24-hour plunge raises thousands for Special Olympics
Continue reading...
Ogden dove into the water at Ogunquit Beach 24 times to raise $7,645 for the Special Olympics as part of Maine’s first-ever Super Plunge on March 29-30. Hosted by the Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run, the event had 15 plungers from across law enforcement take an icy dive into the Atlantic every hour for 24 hours to raise money for the games.
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The event raised more than $80,000 for the games, held in Maine in February with the national games scheduled for June 20-26. Ogden said the request for volunteers to apply for the plunge went out after the Jan. 1 Lobster Dip for the same cause.
“I decided it was something that I could do both physically and mentally,” Ogden said. “I thought I’d be able to raise a decent amount of money.”
Big A Trail at Mount Agamenticus: Campaign underway for major upgrades
Ogden takes the Super Plunge for Special Olympics
The Super Plunge has been done in other states like Connecticut and Rhode Island, so Odgen felt confident it was safe to dive in the icy water so many times in one day. He also said the team had a good setup at the Norseman Resort that allowed them to quickly get inside after the plunge. The team plunged in their bathing suits, wearing T-shirts featuring pictures of Special Olympics athletes.
You must be registered for see images attach
The first plunge was at noon on March 29. Plungers only had to get their head completely submerged in the water. After that, he and his teammates were allowed to rush back to the warmth of the Norseman to wait for the next hour to come.
“Make each plunge as short as possible,” Ogden said. “Get totally underwater, get right out.”
Plunges could be refreshing given the water’s temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, Ogden said, especially as the night darkened and the event cut into sleeping hours.
You must be registered for see images attach
“Some people tried to get little naps in,” Ogden said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to take a 10-minute nap and wake up again.”
Ogden said he started feeling the effects of sleep deprivation around 3 a.m. He said jumping in the water woke him up, though. By sunup, Ogden said he felt a little rejuvenated.
More challenging than the cold water itself was getting back and forth from the water.
“High tide was honestly a lot easier than low tide,” Ogden said. “I think the getting out of the water and running back up inside was definitely the hard part.”
The plungers were always buddied up, so they weren’t diving into the water alone. They also had a good amount of people who came to cheer them on, according to Ogden. In the night and early morning, when fewer people were there with them, Ogden still had people following him online.
“People were reaching out and checking on me, making sure, seeing how it was going,” Ogden said. “There was definitely a group outside. Got some cowbells ringing.”
More: Maine libraries sound alarm over potential federal funding cuts
Ogden, a longtime supporter of the Special Olympics
Ogden, 35, has been with the York Police Department for nine years. He has participated in past fundraisers for the Special Olympics like the Lobster Plunge and the torch run held by law enforcement.
Ogden said he first became involved with the Special Olympics in college when he volunteered to help run the games. He said working with the athletes showed him a new side to the event and the heart the athletes put into the games.
“When you actually see how important the Special Olympics are to the athletes and how much it means to them, it really made me have that connection,” Ogden said. “It’s so important to them.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Ogden said he has done fundraisers before, like the Lobster Dip Plunge. He said doing the Super Plunge seems to have attracted more donations by upping the ante for plungers. For Ogden, he said, it pays to go a little bigger when raising money for Special Olympics. He said he has historically brought in about $1,200 when doing the Lobster Dip.
“I think once you throw out there that we’re doing this 24 times in 24 hours, it gets people’s attention,” Ogden said. “Very tired, but well worth it.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York officer’s 24-hour plunge raises thousands for Special Olympics
Continue reading...
