It\'s called the Police Plunge and at noon, 400 police
firefighters and security officers stripped down and voluntarily ran into the icy
Chesapeake Bay at Sandy Point State Park to help raise money for Special Olympics.
Montgomery County Police Officer Barbara Natoli (right) runs out of the Chesapeake Bay with her best friend who is also participating in the Polar Bear Plunge. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Barbara Natori says she offered to jump in the snow and do a snow angel after each dip if her funders would contribute $100 more to her goal. So far, she has raised more than $13,000 for Special Olympics from this event alone. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Maryland flags whipped in the wind in front of an icy Sandy Point beach, sectioning off the area where plungers would get in the water. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Volunteers broke up the ice in and around the water for the safety of the plungers, but the ice on the shore remained and offered plungers an unfortunate reminder of the temperatures they were in for as they approached the water. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Barbara Natori, right, and her friend mark each of their 24 plunges with a sign and take a photo. Somehow, they withstood the temperatures and posed for photo No. 8 while standing in the water. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Barbara Natori runs out of the water after the 8th photo. This is her 18th year of plunging into the Chesapeake Bay while raising money for Special Olympics.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — It’s called the Police Plunge and on Friday, 400 police, firefighters and security officers stripped down and ran into the icy Chesapeake Bay to raise money for Special Olympics.
“Law enforcement adopted Special Olympics as a charity nationwide and that seems to have extended into military and some of the firefighters and EMTs as well, says Jason Schriml with Special Olympics.
To participate, each person had to raise $75 for the organization, which helps afford opportunities, education and awareness for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Montgomery County Police Officer Barbara Natoli took the challenge up a notch by jumping in every hour for 24-hours. She followed some of her plunges with a dive into a nearby snowbank.
“I am over $13,000 now. I’m still trying to bring in money. I just did a snow angel, so I’m hoping more people will give me some money,” Natoli says.
Inspired by a Special Olympics athlete, Adam Hayes, this is Natoli’s 18th plunge and her third year doing the super plunge.
“It started as a dare. Because it was something crazy and fun to do. Then I met an athlete and fell in love…I’ve been here ever since,” she says.
Natoli works with Special Olympics Maryland year-round and is one of 38 super plungers who braved the 36 degree water of the Chesapeake Bay for 24 hours Friday.
