BY: Keith S. Shikowitz, Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter
Throughout the country people, who some people would call insane, dive into frozen lakes, rivers and other bodies of water to raise money for people, mostly children who have medical issues that have caused the families financial hardship. Millions of dollars are raised within all of these efforts. The organizers select a number of families who need the help and divide the proceeds amongst them.
As the ice flowed down the Hudson River on March 1, 2026, organizers of the Penguin Plunge held their event at Memorial Park in Nyack along the Hudson River with the TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE in the foreground.
Executive Director Barbara Noyes, explained about this plunge, “So the plunge started 19 years ago as a labor of love just for one time, but as we went on, we found more and more kids that were in need of help because their medical difficulties. So, we became the Penguin Plunge for good. This is our 19th year of doing this. ”
Noyes said that they’ve helped over 43 families, with over a million dollars in donations given back to the families and they couldn’t do this without the great community that they’re a part of.
“First Sunday in March is Penguin Plunge Day. It’s cemented in the books. You look at any calendar, we’re there. The very first time we did this we probably only had about 50 people. I would think at least 500 people will be here today. We’ve had up to 1000. ”
Not only were the current recipients present at the event, but past recipients were also in attendance to support them. One family was the Cunninghams 2023 recipients. Their daughter May had a pediatric stroke in 2022. Her father said it’s been a long road back a long recovery. “She’s an incredible kid. We got great support, great community, and we just keep working. You got to keep practicing. We still need a lot of practice. It’s stuff that we’re working with. We practice every day, and it may it’s come a long way, but we still have further to go, and that’s, that’s okay. ”
One advantage she has is that she is young and when you’re young, you’ve got the energy and you’re able to do it.
Their dog, who was being held by May’s father, kept looking at the camera, but when asked, had nothing to add to the conversation. https://youtu.be/Q1S27wx9YQg Some of the people who are in need of assistance from the Penguin Plunge also have needs other than the major medical ones. Kirsten Sally work with an organization called Chuck’s Pups, Connecting Children with Dogs. Kirsten explained that it’s Chuck’s Pups, and they started off, just working to fundraise for children to get service dogs and then they branched out a little bit.
“We’re in connection with above the standard poodles and dog training. They’re the breeders of the dogs that do most of the training specific to the needs of the kids. We do mobility dogs, psychiatric dogs, diabetic alert, depending on what the kid needs. We just do the fundraising and to build awareness to secure financial aid. The children serviced by them can range from 5 to 18.
The dog in the right foreground is a Standard Poodle named Junior who’s 15 weeks old.
“He started his training program. He’s working with Sally, who’s my assistant in all the training and working with a bunch of the kids, task training, obedience, just getting them acclimated to be in different spaces. The poodles work really well because they’re hypoallergenic, which makes it so they can be in different spaces. They also, they’re super smart. They got good noses for any diabetic alert, seizure alert, things like that. They have the right nose for it. ” Kirsten stated.
They work with them for about a year to a year and a half before they’re placed. Throughout the time that they’re being trained, the families will come with the child to work with the trainers every couple of months, and then once they’re actually placed, we spend a week to a week and a half working with them, and then there’s ongoing connection throughout the time to make sure that we have that transition from being with us to them being with these children.
“It’s ongoing that we’re coming back to because just because the dog’s trained, the training has to keep happening and the connection with the trainers and the children, the families. We stay with the families forever,
even into adulthood for the kids.” https://youtu.be/3CigB8MDnNs As much “fun” as this is for people, there is always the potential for medical emergencies. As such, there are fire and EMT services present. EMT’s Frankel and Borden from the Nyack Ambulance Corps were there because the town asked them to come to help out, to just do standby in case there are any medical emergencies.
“It’s a great way to join the community and see what’s going on. This is my 2nd year doing it, but I think Nyack Ambulance has been doing it for. Maybe as long as he’s been doing the Penguin Plunge.” Frankel said.
This was Borden’s first year with Nyack. She was in New London, Connecticut for two years before coming here. Have you ever, have you heard about anybody needing major medical attention?
Knock on wood no. But we’re here also with the Piermont Dive team, so plenty of support, standing by.
Hopefully, like you said, knock on wood, they won’t need your assistance or anything except for maybe a blanket here and there.
Frankel said, “Exactly. We’ve got plenty of blankets. ”
Senator Bill Weber joined the plungers in the freezing cold here right on the Hudson River by the Tappan Zee Bridge. “It’s an amazing, organization that really does invaluable work raising money for sick kids every year, so I come down here as a professional cheerleader to really cheer on everyone that’s a part of this organization. I’m happy to be here today. We’re happy to always continually support the Penguin Plunge, and we’re hopeful for a successful resolution and finish here today.
Weber’s opponent, Joe Rand is going in, in a full business suit. “God bless him. ” Would Weber ever think about diving into this? “Maybe. We’ll look at it in the future. This week’s kind of tough for me in terms of I got to be in Albany most of the week. I can’t afford to get sick, but down the road we’ll, we’ll look at it. When the Stony Point one comes around next year, we’ll take a look at it, you know. We’re here today at the Penguin Plunge in in, Nyack, but two great organizations that raise so much great money for sick kids. So, you know, I’m out here today as a cheerleader, and it’s great that, that really everyone’s raised a lot of money to help support this.
Out there in the freezing cold, after posing for some pictures with the mounted police, Orangetown Supervisor Theresa Kenny spoke about the plunge.
“This is not that freezing compared to last year’s, let me tell you, I give anybody so much credit who goes into the water. They’re doing it for a great cause. I personally do; I do have my sister who goes into the water. It’s great if the community comes together no matter how cold or wet or damp. I encourage everybody to come.
Kenny says she has been coming to the event for at least 6 or 7 years. Since she started as supervisor. “Yeah, since I started, and actually even before that because like I said, my sister has gone in, so I’ve come down and watch her go in and my brother-in-law, my niece. I always joke around with people who do this and, you know, they have ambulances.
A person who was there laughed and said that they should have a table with psychiatrists there too to mentally evaluate the people who do this.
An American veteran who served between the Vietnam and Gulf Wars was there to plunge. “I just encourage people to come and participate. It’s like I say, it’s a good cause. It’s run by great people, and you know it’s like let them come and do their own thing.
While standing there in a full business suit, Nyack Mayor Joe Rand was preparing to go into the water in said suit. Others were getting into the spirit of the name of the plunge; there were people dressed in penguin suits.
“I am about to do something crazier than I thought anybody could, going into the water on this icy day in a business suit. I’ve done it twice before, and the first time I did it was spontaneous and I. I had a pair of pants and a dress shirt on, and it was okay. Last year I did it in a bathing suit. That was fine, but this year when I was marketing, raise money, there was a picture of me in the water in a suit. That was just because I used the base picture of me in a suit and me in the water, and they said, okay, I’ll put you in the suit. When I posted that photo, people were like, I’ll give you money, but you go in wearing the suit. So, I found an old suit. This is really old, it’s the oldest suit I fit into, and I grabbed.
At his last check he had raised $1700 or so. He hadn’t checked form the night before so it may have gone up
“You know what it’s families that this is going to raise a lot of money for their kids. We’re praying for them. We’re praying for the families, and this is a small sacrifice we can make. Try to raise some money, get some enthusiasm, and try to help them out. Yeah, pneumonia is a small price to pay. Yeah, it’s a small bit of frostbite is also a small price to pay.
Reading about this is not the same as seeing this happen…