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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER
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Once you start the plunge ...

Published March 04. 2025 10:01AM
by Jenn Rago Special to the Bethlehem Press

Fifteen hundred people gathered for the Delaware River Polar Plunge Feb. 14, an assemblage of student athletic teams, volunteer teams, corporate/sponsor teams and community supporters to benefit the Special Olympics of the Lehigh Valley.

“This is an event where once you start participating, you look forward to each year. It’s a highlight of the month for many participants and athletes,” said Special Olympics Pennsylvania Public Relations Manager Larkin Richards. “Of course, we welcome brand new participants with open arms, but there is a good number of people within the community who have done this Plunge four or five-plus times.”

This year the Lehigh Valley is sending 17-year-old Alpine skier Alysa Jones, a Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono Region athlete, to represent Team USA at the Special Olympics World Games in Turin, Italy, in March. Jones has been training at Blue Mountain Ski Area for this event with coach Janelle Pemberton.

This cool celebration began with the “Super Plunge” at The Grand Eastonian hotel, a daring 24-hour event challenging participants to brave the icy waters every hour, on the hour, for an entire day. Each plunge featured a unique theme and delicious treats from sponsored food vendors to keep participants energized and warm.

Super plungers led the general plungers into the Delaware for their 25th plunge in 24 hours Feb 15. There was also a special “Sweetheart Splash” in honor of Valentine’s Day, in which couples took the literal plunge at the Grand Eastonian pool.

Special Olympics Pennsylvania hosts nine Polar Plunges around the state to raise funds to support sports, health and leadership programming for the 15,000 athletes the organization serves.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono Region provides year-round training and competitive sports programs to more than 2,700 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Do you want to support this cause without getting taking the plunge? You can donate to the Lehigh Valley Polar Plunge by visiting PlungePA.org and select the Lehigh Valley Plunge location. After you’re on Lehigh Valley’s page, you can select the “register” button. The link that takes you to is the official registration and donate link. There, you will see “donate.” Once you click donate, it’s a step-by-step process to donating to your local Special Olympics Pennsylvania athletes. Here’s the main page supporters will want to get to: give.specialolympicspa.org/event/2025-lehigh-valley-polar-plunge/e608364

The 2025 Lehigh Valley Polar Plunge is made possible thanks to the generous support of its sponsors, including: Sheetz, Wawa, KoC, Toyota, Service Electric, Jersey Mike’s, Guardian Life Insurance, WFMZ, Penske, St. Luke’s, LETR, Amazon, Walmart. Grand Eastonian, Wegman’s and DonutNV.

Second place in the costume competition was the Jelly Fish ,representing Wawa. Wawa contributes food, beverages and volunteers for the Polar Plunge in Easton each year.
First Place in the costume competition was Derrick representing the United Steelworkers. Derrick has been part of the annual plunge for four years.
Wawa Wally, the mascot for Wawa, waves to the crowd at Scott Park in Easton as attendees arrive for the 12th annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics.
Greyson Macialek from P’burg attends his first Polar Plunge. The Special Olympics Polar Bear and volunteer Brandon Kinsey welcome him to the event.
“One Toe at a Time” – A tacit toes touch is one way to enter the water, as plunging has a different meaning for everyone.
“Ready, Set, Plunge” Groups psych themselves up to jump into the icy water of the Delaware River at Scott park.
Press photos by Jenn Rago“And here we go” apprehensive plungers make their move as they finally enter the water. Some are more willing then others, but all had fantastic frozen fun.