Westminster Police Chief To Take The Plunge

Two years ago, with weather dipping below the 20-degree mark, Westminster’s Chief of Police Jeffrey Spaulding jumped into the Chesapeake Bay as part of the annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge, with snow blowing.

This year, he is hoping for a much more pleasant experience.

“It was snowing so hard, you couldn’t even see the Bay Bridge,” Spaulding lamented. “This year is a cakewalk compared with last year.”

The Maryland Polar Bear Plunge event, during which thousands of revelers briefly jump into the bay’s icy waters as part of a massive fundraising effort for Special Olympics Maryland, is set for Saturday afternoon, Jan. 28, at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

Plunge events are also being held today, including an all-law enforcement plunge event in which Spaulding will participate.

According to the event website, since it began in 1997, approximately 72,000 people have taken part in the plunge and $19 million has been raised.

Last year, the event raised nearly $3 million with 2,000 people participating, including approximately 840 from Carroll County.

This year, 1,000 teams are registered for the plunge. Those who are committed to plunging include Gov. Martin O’Malley and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. In addition, nearly 700 participants this year are from Carroll County. 

The website touts the event as one of the largest fundraising events in the state. So far, nearly $1.8 million has been raised this year. To participate in Saturday’s event, plungers needed to raise at least $50.

Spaulding has been a part of the plunge 15 of its 16 years. He started out as a support team member, volunteering to help out on the day of the event. He now gets to the site three days in advance to make sure things run smoothly.

“We had all sorts of logistical issues last year because of the snow,” Spaulding said. “This year will be a much easier event to put on...It will be a controlled environment compared to the lunacy that it usually is.”

According to AccuWeather.com, Friday’s forecast for the area is not necessarily looking good. While temperatures are expected to reach a high of 58 degrees, rain and thunderstorms will be hitting the area in the morning. However, those storms are expected to pass by the afternoon

Meanwhile, sunnier skies are expected for Saturday’s events.

“I invite anybody that wishes to come down and join us for the plunge,” Spaulding said. “It will be a party atmosphere on Saturday for sure.”

Spaulding added that his favorite part about being a volunteer with the Special Olympics is interacting with the athletes.

"I’ve made a lot of close friends over the years,” he said. “I enjoy interacting with them.”

As for what it feels like getting into the icy winter water, Spaulding says it’s anything but easy.

“It hurts. It’s very cold,” he said. “But it only hurts for little while. All the good work we do offsets the temporary pain.”