One giant leap

"You can't handle the tooth," yelled Ryan Batchman, of Sylvan Grove, as he leapt backwards into the lake water, holding high a cardboard cutout of a molar and destroying a semester's worth of work by his sixth-grade students.

Batchman was taking the Polar Plunge at Webster Conference Center around noon Saturday to benefit the state Special Olympics program.

At the beginning of every school year, he said, he tasks his students at Lucas-Sylvan Unified Elementary School with picking, designing and making his costume. They also raise the money to donate.

This year his costume was based on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's title character in the movie "The Tooth Fairy." The cardboard wings did not fare well after the dunking.

Going in was easy for Batchman.

"All you've got to do is jump," he said. "The landing is the hard part.

In it for the fun

Batchman started jumping in about 2008 because he had a special needs student in his class. This year, the class raised $300, beating out a man he's been plunging with since he started.

Doug Evans, of Canton, representing the Sons of the American Revolution, brought $290 and his son Gannon, 11, who's been jumping for four years.

Doug Evans wore swim trunks and a white towel cape with the words "Stupid Plunger" on the back. Gannon was dressed in a polar bear costume with "Lil Plunger" on his towel cape. They were clearly there for the fun of it.

The costumes disappeared before they took the plunge.

"The less you wear in, the less you have to take off before you get warm," Doug Evans advised.

Inventive dives

He said his way of going in was even easier than Batchman's: He fell in, backwards, holding his "sceptor," a plunger painted gold. Gannon jumped off the dock, the preferred method for most jumpers.

The Salina Police Department was out in force, with about 15 officers dressed as snow people, many wearing top hats or tutus. Some added a half-twist as they left the dock.

Officer Dani Lemon, of the Salina Police Department, said the department raised about $1,500 that was going straight to Special Olympics.

Lt. Scott Tremblay of the Saline County Sheriff's Office, was the Rock to Clair Serrault, from Court Services, as Paper and Todd Heitschmidt, Court Services director, as Scissors.

Winning the prize for best costume was Special Olympics athlete Kara Walters, 25, of Salina, as Party Hula Girl. She took off her multiple leis before making her leap.

Not that anyone needed encouragement, but Tiffani and Bekki Saltkill of Les Groom donated their DJ services and leap-by-leap color commentary.

The largest team was from Walmart stores throughout central Kansas, and it raised the largest amount, said Luke Schulte, vice president of development for Special Olympics Kansas.

Before Saturday, he said, the benefit had raised $11,000, not counting what was turned in that day.

Decent weather

The water was the coldest in the four years she's been jumping, Lemon said. Salina police officers are a tough bunch, though; most were still running around in wet costumes after everyone had jumped.

The air temperature was about 54 degrees, with 23 mph northwest winds making it feel even chillier as leapers climbed briskly to shore and towels and jackets. The clear skies and bright noon sun helped.

Others called it exhilarating, lots of fun, even.

The Polar Plunge and earlier 5K/1-mile strut were sponsored by Salina and Saline County law enforcement.

Mike White, 63, was the overall men's winner for the 5K, and Carol White, 60, the overall women's winner. Runners ranged in age from 13 to 73.

All the money raised is a direct benefit to Salina Special Olympics athletes, Schulte said. For example, he said, the Blue Thunder basketball team will travel to Junction City next weekend. The team's travel, food, T-shirts and awards will all be paid for with money donated through the Polar Plunge, he said.