“It was a somewhat chilly day, near 50 degrees and windy,” said Lambert.
“But the water temperature was 32 degrees so the reaction was numbing.”
Lambert also said the annual event raised as much as $5,000 for the Special Olympics, which was one of 11 Polar Bear Plunges across the state.
Sponsors provided funds of $75 per entry and Lambert and Waller were sponsored by the Huber Heights FOP.
Paige Ludwig, Special Olympics marketing and development manager in Columbus, said “We had two more Polar Bear Plunges to go after the Dayton area affair and expected to be well over the $300,000 figure for 2011 — a record sum for our five-year existence.”
The Plunge is one of several fundraising events that Lambert, Waller and others in Huber Heights Police Department are involved throughout the year, including research reading for youngsters at the Heights Branch of the Dayton Library and the annual Shop With a Cop for kids at Christmastime.
The shopping spree for needy kids was held last year at Meijers and Walmart in Huber Heights and were a major success.
“Both Shawn and I believe it’s so important for officers to have a rapport with youngsters,” said Lambert.
Lambert said the Dayton PAL picked up any of the expenses incurred for the Plunge at The Greene.
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