Ready, Set......PLUNGE!!!!!

We had so many great individuals and teams come out to "Take the Plunge" to benefit Special Olympics Oklahoma!!! Here are some photos of the action!!

City Council Member - Team Frigid-dare: Tom Gorman in his hot dog costume started us out with a picture perfect belly flop!


City Council Member - Team Frigid-dare: Erin Tullos, dressed as mustard, followed the hot dog into the water!


City Council Member - Team Frigid-dare: Vic Holcombe was next!!! What's a hot dog without ketchup AND MUSTARD!!!


Shivering Prom Queen - Casey Williams teased the crowd before leaping into the 48 degree water!


Shivering Prom Queen - Michele Blevins did not disappoint with her cannonball!


Shivering Prom Queen (and Bartlesville School Board Member) - Vanessa Drummond was a crowd favorite!! Did you know that the dress she jumped in was a bridesmaid dress from her very own wedding??


Frozen 5th Grader - Reese Hammon tucked up tight for his cannonball!


Frozen 5th Grader - Bryce Anderegg looks a little bit like a frog hopping into the portable pond!


Frozen 5th Grader - Jonah Fenstermaker made the leap with the greatest of ease!


Frozen 5th Grader - Austin Manley (our youngest plunger of the day) chose a foot first approach!


Polar Scout #1 splashed in and then headed for the exit!


Polar Scout #2 smiled as she made the plunge


Polar Scout #3 made it look like a lot of fun


Polar Scout #4 was hopefully trying to do a belly flop that ended up being more of a dive....with a three foot pool, the angle of her approach was a bit scary!


Chevron Phillips came out with an awesome four person team. Plunger #1 stripped off his red chemical safety suit and flopped into the water with style!!


Chevron Phillips plunger #2 appeared to kick back in the invisible lounge chair on his way into the water.


Chevron Phillips Plunger #3 caught some serious air as he flopped his way into the water...all while making a fashion statement.


Chevron Phillips Plunger #4 was in the water before we could even count down!!!


Chris Oldroyd was the chair of the Planning Committee for the Polar Plunge. Since he helped plan it, he didn't want to miss out on the action! From the look on his face, the water must have been cold when it hit his toes!!!


And then there was Gary Waddle......although, we don't recommend doing a full somersault into a 3 foot pool of water....it was a crowd pleaser!!!


Richard Dennis (aka Mr. Dennis) is the principal at Wayside Elementary. Not only did he win the award for oldest plunger....he raised the most money out of any of the individual jumpers. And he jumped with style!!


County Commissioner Mike Dunlap joined in the fun and stuck around for a quick photo opportunity before heading out of the pool.


Mark Reinert from Nowata did our only back flop of the day!!!


Jeremy Holmes ended the event with a belly flop just as spectacular as the one that started us out for the day! Check out the air he got!


What a fantastic event!!! We thank all 24 plungers who braved the 48 degree water and made it such a fun time for all of the spectators!!

Polar Plunge Costumes!

We had some wonderful and creative costumes at the event!!! Here are just some of the photos!

Polar Scouts


Shivering Prom Queens


BCC Frigid-dares


One of the Frozen 5th Graders


The costume contest was a lot of fun!!




The judges (Jimmy, Virginia, and Lindsay) had a tough time deciding....


But in the end, the prize went to the Shivering Prom Queens!!!

Polar Plunge Morning

It was an overcast morning, but the set-up crew showed up at 8AM ready to go!!! Many thanks to the members of the Polar Plunge Planning Committee, the Grand Area Management Team, and the State Special Olympics office for their efforts in getting everything set up and ready for the first plunger!!!

The truck was loaned to us by Chris Oldroyd. The platform was created by Jim Oldroyd and Mike Hammon. The tents that were used as changing areas were loaned to us by Sunfest!!!



Many thanks to the Bartlesville Fire Department for helping us fill the pool (pond?). Despite flushing the line, the water was still a touch brown....but it didn't dampen any of the fun!!!

Who is Jumping???

We're getting a great list of jumpers together!! Not everyone is signed up online yet, but here's the list of the ones that are......

We have SIX teams so far -

BCC Frigid-dares
The BCC stands for Bartlesville City Council! Yes...that's right....This team consists of three of the Bartlesville City Council Members: Erin Tullos, Vic Holcomb and Tom Gorman. You can support them at this link.

Shivering Prom Queens
This group of women, headed by Bartlesville school board member Vanessa Drummond, plan to "take the plunge" wearing prom dresses and tiaras! You won't want to miss this!!! Other team members are Casey Williams and Michele Blevins. But they're looking for YOU to join them if you dare!!! Support them (or sign up for their team) here.

Frozen 5th Graders
The name says it all. This team is a group of local 5th graders that want to jump to support Special Olympics. They're fearless 5th graders who will soon be FROZEN!!!! Headed up by Jonah Fenstermaker and Reese Hammon, they're sure to make a big splash....don't stand too close to the pool if they cannonball their way into the water!! They are also joined by Austin Manley and Bryce Anderegg! You can support them here. If you are a 5th grader and wish to join their team.....ask your parents to sign you up at this link.

***NEW***
Polar Scouts
Welcome to our newest team entry.....the Polar Scouts!! Consisting of 4 members (Larri Castoe, David Castoe, Scott Sullivan, and Lindsay Watkins), this team is sure to jump in and make waves for Special Olympics!!! Please support this great group here.

Doenges Divers
Welcome to another new team entry.....the Doenges Divers!! Consisting of 3 members (Crystal Freeman, Vance Blackwell, and Donnie Carmen). These guys are "driving" hard to support Special Olympics. You can support them here.

Ben Rainey
Team Ben Rainey has entered the event!! Consisting of 1 member so far (Elizabeth Peters), you can support them here.



We also have a lot of individuals who have registered to "TAKE THE PLUNGE"

Chris Oldroyd - Chris has volunteered his time to help us plan this event and now he has agreed to jump. If you want to support him in his jump, click here.

Jeremy Holmes - Jeremy has two kids in the Special Olympics program and is jumping for them! To support him click here.

Justin Copeland - Soccer coach for the Bartlesville boy U11 competitive team....Justin didn't hesitate when we asked him to jump! Support him here.

Gary Waddle - Gary wants to plunge.....he is certainly quite excited about it and has created promotional movie that he has linked out on our facebook event page. (click here to go to the FB page). Click here to support Gary!

Richard Dennis - The newest addition to our plungers! Known as "Mr. Dennis" to the kids at Wayside Elementary, this principal wants to help support Special Olympics by plunging into the icy cold water. Help support him at this link.


Wow!!! We're so excited and thankful for the wonderful support! Please support our plungers either financially or with loud cheering on the day of the event. Or, better yet, sign up here to take the plunge yourself!!!!! Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 26th! You won't want to miss it!!!

Plunge Tips!!!

· Once you go here to register......check out these great tips for the morning of the event!!!

We have a lot of great plungers registered for the event! City Council and School Board members, a team of 5th graders, some Shivering Prom Queens, and many more! Check them out here!


PLUNGE REMINDERS!!!

• Have cash and checks totaled separately and bring with you to the plunge
• Bring towel and warm clothing
• Invite friends and family to come and watch so you can challenge them to plunge with you next year.
• Registration starts at 10:00 and don’t wait to the last second.
• Have signed waiver from an adult if under 18 (will have those forms at registration table)

Plunge in for Special Olympics!!!

We're all buzzing with excitement over the upcoming Polar Plunge!!!! Statistically, it has to be warmer than it was in Bartlesville this morning....but it's still sure to be a cold swim!!!

BRRRRRRRRR...............

We've got some great plungers lined up for the event!!! You've all heard that three of the Bartlesville City Council members (Erin Tullos, Vic Holcombe & Tom Gorman) will be jumping! But, you probably didn't hear that Vanessa Drummond from the Bartlesville School Board has agreed to take the plunge as well. In addition, ConocoPhillips' very own Tracy Harlow will jump!! Several of the local soccer coaches (Justin Copeland & Matt Link) will be jumping. As well as a parent (Jeremy Holmes) of two Special Olympics Athletes in the Bartlesville school district and a 5th grader from Wayside Elementary. But, that's not all.....we had a team from Doenges commit to jump today!!! And there are many more who want to join them!!!

You can keep a tab on our online registrants at the following website:

http://www.firstgiving.com/sook/Event/bartlesvillepolarplunge

Almost $900 has been raised so far online by these individuals. This doesn't include cash donations or the many generous donations from our local sponsors! It's so exciting!!!! Thanks to everyone for their support!!! It's amazing how many people will say "YES" when you ask them to do something like this for such a great cause!!!

If you don't want to take the plunge yourself.......please support one of our plungers.....either financially, or by coming out the morning of the plunge to cheer them on! The event will be held on Saturday, February 26th in front of Two Sister's Pub in downtown Bartlesville. Virginia (one of the two sisters) has agreed to sell her fabulous breakfast burritos that morning, with a percentage of the proceeds going towards our event!!!

You won't want to miss it!!!

Attention Coaches!!!

Coaches, it is time to think about Spring Athletics competition. Entry deadline is March 11, send to PO Box 411, Bartlesville, 74005. Coach's certification must be current. There are several training sessions available before then. Please see Coach Info under Spring Competition on the State web site www.sook.org

Taking the Plunge!!!

WOW!!!! We're generating a lot of excitement for our upcoming Polar Plunge. Several people have committed to "taking the plunge", including three of Bartlesville's City Council members. Erin Tullos, Vic Holcomb, and Tom Gorman will be jumping on February 26th to support Special Olympics.

To support them (or others - like Jeremy Holmes - who have set up fundraising pages for this event), please visit the following website:

http://www.firstgiving.com/sook/Event/bartlesvillepolarplunge

Grand Area Special Olympics thanks you for your support!!