Kosciusko Sheriff’s Department Rescue Divers Brandon Hepler (left) and Jim Smith clear the area of dangerous ice prior to the annual Polar Plunge as part of the 2015 Syracuse Winterfest.
(Photo by Keith Knepp)

The 2015 Syracuse Winterfest took a chilly turn at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon as 19 brave men and women took to the icy waters of Lake Wawasee for the annual Freezin’ For A Reason Polar Plunge. The event’s entry fees and spectator donations went toward the Wawasee Boomerang Backpack program, whose mission is provide food on the weekends for low income students in kindergarten through fifth-grade in the Wawasee School District.

Safety personnel from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Syracuse Police Department and the Syracuse Fire and EMS departments were on hand to witness the participants make the run from the beach outside Oakwood Resort into a section of the frozen lake that had been specially cut out for the plunge.

Some of the participants at the Polar Plunge prepare to exit the water back onto the beach at Oakwood Resort.
(Photo by Keith Knepp)

According to John Sloan of Lake City Scuba, the water temperature was hovering just above 32 degrees in the shallow water. The plungers were divided into three groups who each took their turns in the water in various stages of dress, some in full drysuits with others wearing clothing better suited for the middle of July.

Other Saturday afternoon events at Oakwood included an ice sculpting demonstration, an Iditarod presentation and a children’s craft activity.

Earlier in the morning, eight hearty runners participated in a 5K Fun Run at the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex. Also at that location was open ice skating during the afternoon. Later in the evening, live entertainment from Swick and Jones as well as a middle school party were planned at the resort.