Dozens brave the cold for Barrie's annual Polar Plunge
Dozens braved the cold water of Kempenfelt Bay for a good cause at Barrie's annual Polar Plunge, on Saturday.
Barrie police helped support the event which raised nearly $7,000 for Special Olympics programming across Canada.
"May I win, but if I cannot win, may I be brave in my attempt., it speaks to the very nature of sports and the importance of what we should remember," said Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston.
While the milder temperatures turned the 'plunge' into more of a 'march-and-plunge,' the water in the bay was still a chilling 1C.
"It was really cold," said participant Ian Scheeres. "I pretty much instantly lost feeling in my feet, but I'm happy I did it."
Setting up the plunging area required some unique preparation work by Barrie fire crews.
"We had to cut a troth into an open area," said Barrie fire captain Matt Monkman. "We made it work, and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves."
The Polar Plunge is held annually, with this year's money going towards Ontario special Olympics teams.
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