Polar Bear Plunge makes splash to raise cash for Special Olympics

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March 1, 2009

By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Sun Mar 01, 2009, 12:56 AM EST

A rainy, dreary, cold day doesn’t seem like the kind of day to spend on the lake.

But for nearly 100 people, Saturday was the perfect day to take a quick dip.

The Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics at Lee’s Ford Marina featured 95 people, who raised at least $75 for the cause, jumping off the backs of two houseboats into approximately 40 degree water.

“We try to make it an atmosphere that’s a lot of fun and you’re not thinking about the cold,” said Anna Beth Logan, special events director for Special Olympics of Kentucky.

Some plungers were costumed, some wore little more than a bathing suit, and some decided to keep their shoes and socks on for the dip, but everyone involved help raise a total of $34,315 to go toward the Special Olympics.

“Obviously, they [plungers] had fun doing it, but they’re also giving back,” said Logan.

And while a steady, cold rain soaked the numerous attendees who turned out to watch the plunge, the general mood among everyone was excitement.

Logan said she was pleased with the turnout of participants and observers alike, especially in a time when many people are being forced to cut spending on things such as charities.

“With the economy you never know how you’re going to be effected,” Logan said.

Logan thanked all participants, including several small groups who raised at least $10,000 for the cause.

“There are some teams that raised $10,000 and they only had maybe 15 people,” Logan said.

“The support we get from individuals in the community is phenomenal,” Logan continued. “This would not be possible without some of them.”

The top male fundraiser was Rodney Henry with a total of $3,075 and the top female was Lena Visser with $2,032. The top boy was Jordan Taylor, who raised $320, and the top girl was Tayver Allen, who raised $525. The top fundraising team was the 13-member LakeCumberland.com, who raised $10,404.57. The top fraternity/sorority/school group was the 10-member Oakwood Frozen Eagles, who raised $2,235.82.

In 2008, more than 100 individuals plunged into Lake Cumberland, raising $37,000 for the Special Olympics in the Polar Bear Plunge.

The Lake Cumberland Polar Bear Plunge was the last of five plunges being held this year. Other events were held in Lexington, Newport, Louisville and Owensboro.

Since its inception in 1998, the Polar Bear Plunge program has raised nearly $3 million in Kentucky.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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