Mar 8, 2014

Plungers lined up for the chilly water of the Chesapeake Bay and, some, to pose for photographs as well.

: Tom Haney, winner of the best costume contest at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. One of the original plungers, he was getting ready for his eighteenth plunge of the day. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Nikki Bass at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge event. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Daniel Kimball holds his nine-month-old daughter Lizabeth as they attend the Polar Bear Plunge.(Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Terri Hines and Dan Poreca at Sandy Point State Park for the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Chase Bristow stays warm dressed as Michael Jackson for the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Dale Crites, known as “Britney Girl Dale,” at the Polar bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Erine Sedicum at the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Farrin Stanton, Teneil Wilson and Patrice Pinn dressed for the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: The band Sweet Leda performed at the Special Olympics Polar Plunge event. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Ernie “Plun-go Libre,”Hoel is ready to take on the cold Chesapeake Bay during the MSP Polar bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Rodney Brittingham may look like he’s in a costume, but the member of the Anne Arundel Dive Team that was on hand to make sure the Special Olympics Polar Plunge Bear stayed safe. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Wes “Captain Dee-Fense” Henson at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: “Polar Plungers” at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Howard Smiga from Gernmantown can’t wait for Spring and the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics at Sandy Point State Park. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Darth Vader took a dip, too, at the Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics at Sandy Point State Park. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Cindy Bongiovani and her daughter Gia Bongiovani at the Special Olympics Polar bear Plunge. Gia is a Special Olympics medal winner in the bowling events (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: The Mario Brothers, Kevin Matthews and Vincent McNamee at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Mariela Pepin, Miss Teen Maryland, and Taylor Burton, Miss Maryland U.S.A., at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Pepper Johnson (l-r,) Breonna Stanton, Vicky Adam, and Ashley Archie at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Laura Cain and Brandon Cain at the Bear Polar Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Ericah Martir from Houston, Texas, at the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: John Dubiel, with sign, at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Ryan Moody and David Schmidt at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Just out of the water, Kristen McCabe, Katie Krulock, and Anna Capozzoli at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Penguin-suited Andrew Brow and Sergey Feldman at the Special Olympics Polar bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

: Andrea and Michelle Kromer at the Polar Bear Plunge. (Matthew Paul D’Agostino/For The Baltimore Sun)

On schedule for February with 7,000 plungers signed up, the 2014 Polar Bear Plunge was postponed due to inclement weather. The scaled-back March event, with fewer costumed and scantily-clad dippers in attendance, did not draw the anticipated crowd for the previous event. Organizers said the event was expected to raise about $1.8 million, short of the $2.5 million goal.

(Photos by Matthew Paul D’Agostino for The Baltimore Sun at the 2014 Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge.)

2014 Photo Booth: Polar Bear Plunge

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