There were 3,383 enthusiastic participants who braved the cold Atlantic Ocean and took the plunge in Rehoboth Beach at the 27th annual Lewes Polar Bear Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Delaware. Beginning with 78 plungers in 1992, the Plunge has been growing ever since. This year’s total raised was more than $875,000.
The air temperature was recorded at 47 degrees and the water 37 degrees during the 1 p.m. plunge. The event, sponsored by Wawa, has now raised nearly $11 million in its 27-year history. Special Olympics Delaware provides sports training and competition opportunities for more than 4,200 Delawareans of all ages who have intellectual disabilities.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.