Taking the plunge....Dozens do more than dip their toes in the water for charity
Dec. 10—DERRY — "Are my toes still attached?"
A wet Bob Francis asked that as he scurried to his vehicle after he and 60 others dipped more than their toes into the freezing water of Beaver Lake on Saturday.
Francis, his wife and their adult son, Sam, chose a charity polar plunge to make their family photo — complete with Santa hats — for this year's Christmas card, an annual tradition dating to 1996.
"This one will probably rise to the top of interesting cards," said his wife, Nancy, who organized the annual "pantry plunge" to benefit the First Baptist Church Food Pantry.
Last year's plunge raised $24,000. This year's total should be known by Christmas.
The community need has grown this year with inflation walloping many family budgets.
The food pantry provided enough food to make 3,780 meals in October, nearly 14% ahead of last year. It helped 315 people, a similar percentage increase.
"Prices are so high they can't afford to buy the food they need, so they come here," said pantry director Margaret Isbell.
Before the plunge, Sam Francis removed a thin layer of ice near the shore but couldn't do anything to warm the water.
Jenny Hiscox said her body felt a "shock" when she dove in with her Pinkerton Academy classmates.
"It was worse getting out," Hiscox said after a couple minutes in freezing water and sub-freezing wind chills. "My toes are freezing."
"It was way worse last year" in the rain, said Pinkerton's Maddy Moore, 17 of Chester.
Another year featured six inches of ice on the lake that had to be broken up to produce a plunge area.
Eileen Dusek, 67, of Derry came dressed Saturday in a white tutu with a crown adorning her head — the crown's points representing glaciers.
This was her fourth state doing a polar plunge.
"I have visited 'em all, but I'm not going to plunge in 'em all," Dusek said of the 50 states. "But you never know."
Afterward, she called the plunge "fantastic. I'll do it again."
She said an ice fisherman tasked her with looking for fish in the lake.
"I didn't find any," she said.
Logan Hill, 22, joined about a half-dozen co-workers at the local Blue Seal feed store, including the event's organizer.
After coming up from the water for air, "it took my breath away," Hill said.
The Manchester resident saw Dusek decked out in a crown.
How was he planning to celebrate completing the plunge?
"With a different crown," Hill said, confirming Crown Royal whiskey.
