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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 31 ,2 01 9 | 22 Start planning your dream vacation with hand-picked travel deals and inspiration just for Canadians Visit WATERLOO - What should you wear to jump waist-deep into an outdoor tub of very cold water, when it's -23 C with the wind chill? That was the question for many of the people who took part in the Polar Plunge on the weekend. The event, organized by Waterloo Regional Police, raised nearly $22,000 for the Special Olympics. Jenn Pfenning, a Wil- mot Township councillor, wore a toque and a tutu as she jumped in, feet first and arms bare. "It really wasn't that bad," she said. Chief Bryan Larkin wore his police uniform when he took his dive on Saturday. "It's refreshing," he said later. "Crisp. Cool." But Larkin admitted that, despite the heated trailer and dry clothes for participants, his feet stayed cold for a long time afterward. Daren Roth, dive master at Tri-City Scuba Centre in Kitchener, wore a drysuit with layers of clothing be- neath. He was on hand to help people get out of the tank, which had been con- structed in Waterloo Park as part of the city's Winter- loo festival. The water was at 2 C. His drysuit got so cold at times, it froze. More than 60 people raised donations from fam- ily and friends for the Spe- cial Olympics, which will bring 500 athletes to Water- loo Region in May 2020. The Waterloo police ser- vice will host that event, which promotes inclusion in sport for those with in- tellectual disabilities. Participants in the Po- lar Plunge included dozens of police officers including Guelph Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter, local athletes politicians, and special guest Ron "The Codfather" Caudle, owner of Caudle's Catch seafood store in Kitchener. Caudle raised more than $6,000 and wore a bright yellow sou'wester hat and life vest for the oc- casion. "Ay yi yi!" yelled Caudle as he hit the water. When you're in the tank, "you're immediately re- minded how cold your body can become," said Er- ic Boynton, an equity, in- clusion and diversity offi- cer with the Waterloo po- lice. But he regrets nothing. He's now a hero to his two- year-old son. "He said, 'Daddy's brave,'" Boynton said with a grin. SPLASH! A FEW SECONDS IN AN ICY BATH RAISES MONEY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS Nigel Gordijk takes part in the Polar Plunge at Waterloo Park on Sunday. The event was part of the Winterloo festival. Waterloo Record photo LUISA D'AMATO ldamato@therecord.com LOCAL PARTICIPANTS IN THE POLAR PLUNGE INCLUDED DOZENS OF POLICE OFFICERS, LOCAL ATHLETES AND POLITICIANS. SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA