Community Corner
Tiverton Splashes Into First Annual Penguin's Plunge
The event raised over $1000 in support of building the new town library.
There are a number of popular polar plunges in Rhode Island, but this year, Tiverton began a tradition of hosting its own at Grinnell's Beach.
The first annual Penguin's Plunge, held at noon on New Year’s Day, was sponsored by The . The event was open to the public and served as a fundraiser to support efforts to build the new town library.
“We decided to do it at our December board meeting,” said Greg Jones, Commodore of the Tiverton Yacht Club. “We thought it would be a way to help the town out, by supporting the library.”
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Penguin plunges occur across the country on New Year’s Day. This was one of many such events in the area, including one at Little Compton’s South Shore Beach. Despite this being the Tiverton's first year, the event drew a sizable crowd, a fact that Jones attributed to a combination of unusually warm weather and support for the new library.
“The weather definitely helps us,” he said. “With it being our first year, it’s important to get people to come.”
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The result was a highly festive atmosphere. The beach drew a crowd of all ages, some of them wearing purple New Year’s hats or glasses. Music blared from car speakers as the crowd mingled. Those preparing to take the plunge signed up at a table run by the yacht club, where donations for the library funding were also accepted.
The celecbration culminated at noon with the actual plunge. At the command of Jones, the swimmers lined up and charged into the water. No one stayed in for long, but no one seemed to regret the experience either.
“It actually wasn’t bad,” said Tiverton native Bruce Winter. “I didn’t stay in for long, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected.”
“This was the best plunge ever,” proclaimed Heather McHutchinson, who took the plunge with her daughter, Sam. “I dove in twice. It was the first time at one of these that I could actually feel my toes.”
The event was a success both as a plunge and as a fundraiser. The event raised over $1000 in support of the new library. Jones particularly thanked local businesses and on behalf of the Yacht Club for their contributions to the fundraising. He also thanked the , whose members were there as a safety precaution.
