EASTON, Pa. — Fourteen-year-old Danny Lyons danced from foot to foot on the rocky shore of the Delaware River on Saturday afternoon as his shivering aunt beckoned him into the icy waters.
"Danny!" Karen Klein said, laughing, as she waded in water up to her thighs. "Don't leave me out here!"
- About 900 people participated in the Lehigh Valley Polar Plunge Saturday afternoon
- It was an unusually large crowd; the Easton event typically attracts about 600 people
- The annual event raises money for the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Special Olympics
After a few minutes, Danny mastered his excitement, bounded into the water and posed for a picture next to two men hoisting the American flag.
"Go Eagles!" he bellowed, supporting his football team after its heartbreaking loss in last weekend's Super Bowl.
The pair, both of Easton, were among the first wave of 900 people who sprinted, jumped, inched and squealed their way into the water as part of the annual Lehigh Valley Polar Plunge.
The Scott Park event is the largest fundraiser for the Special Olympics of the Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono Region.
Maybe a record
Sunday's turnout may have been a record showing; Julie Benjamin, the group's executive director, said about 600 people typically participate every year.
The organization won't know for days if it will meet its goal of raising $150,000, she said.
"We couldn't be more pleased," Benjamin said of the unexpected level of support. "This allows us to host more programs for more athletes."
About 13,000 athletes compete in Special Olympic programs across the state, according to the state organization. About 2,700 competed in the Lehigh Valley region as of 2020, according to its website.
Those programs hold a special meaning for Klein and Danny, who suffered a stroke when he was born.
He frequently participates in polar plunges, but it was the first for Klein. She said she was glad the temperatures tumbled to near-freezing Saturday after they'd soared into the 50s Thursday.
"For a polar plunge, it's got to be like this."Karen Klein, of Easton
"For a polar plunge, it's got to be like this," she said.
Outrageous outfits, instant numbness
Klein, dressed in a tie-dye bikini and a thick ski cap, assumed that standard swimwear was the norm for these events. But even her colorful outfit paled next to the outrageous outfits and costumes of the other participants.
One group ran in with matching giant rubber duck inner tubes.
Pikachu, Aquaman, Disney princesses, polar bears, a turkey and a Scottish highlander also braved the water as members of the Easton Fire Department watched from the shore and water.
Michelle Tammaro of Bethlehem Township dyed her hair green and donned a small leprechaun top hat and shamrock stockings.
Tammaro, a mother of a child with special needs, said she's participated in the event for three years. This time, she persuaded first-timer Matthew Geitz to join her, complete with his own leprechaun vest.
The dip in the water isn't so bad, she said. After the initial shock, the water makes a person instantly numb.
"If I don't die, I'll do it again next year," Geitz said.
