Polar Bear Plungers willing to go numb to do good

Port Huron, Michigan, Times Herald
http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20081207/NEWS01/812070304

There was no doubt she was cold.

The question was just what color Alissa Toton's legs were when she ran out of the frigid waters of Lake Huron Saturday.

The 17-year-old Port Huron resident took the icy dip with hundreds of others at the seventh annual Kiwanis Polar Bear Plunge at Lakeside Beach in Port Huron.

Toton's legs were left a reddish-purple shade as she tried to warm up after the event.

"They are numb. I can't feel my toes or my legs," said Toton, who participated in the event for the Port Huron High School softball team. "It was cold. But then you couldn't really feel anything, honestly."

Event chairperson Michelle Shepley estimated that 200-250 people took the plunge.

"This is definitely the biggest turnout we have had," Shepley said.

"It's an activity that everyone can get involved in. We have whole families that come out and do it. And if you don't want to get in the water, you can sit and watch and have a great time anyway."

People taking the dip are encouraged to collect donations for the Kiwanis Club to give to youth-oriented programs.

Plungers wore a variety of attire, from bikinis and shorts to Grinch and gorilla costumes. Temperatures were in the 20s, and 20-mph winds and plenty of snow added an extra chill. There were about 40 yards of slush before any open water, where many dove right in and others sprinted right back out.

"It was amazing. It was such a nice experience," said C.J. Liniarski, 12, of Smiths Creek, who made his first icy dip. "Right when I got out there, it killed."

Missy Delano, 17, of Port Huron, didn't mind the trip in, but coming back out was a different story.
"The first few steps, there was so much adrenaline, you couldn't really feel anything," she said. "But coming back out, you had to run."

Everyone had their own reason for participating in the event, including Rob Neumann, 54, of Port Huron, who had a very honest one.

"I'm nuts," he said. "I like to support the Kiwanis, but basically because I'm nuts."