Decatur's Polar Bear Plunge creates lasting memories

Dec. 30—Wayne Holliday said he made his first New Year's Day leap into the Tennessee River's frigid waters for excitement, but his 1985 jump has inspired others to participate in Decatur's annual Polar Bear Plunge and raise money for Meals on Wheels & More.

Holliday, who turns 84 today, did his last plunge in 2019 with his grandchildren and anticipates staying retired from the event if weather allows it to proceed Saturday.

"Unless I have a moment of insanity, but I doubt I will," Holliday said of jumping.

The 2022 plunge is scheduled for noon on New Year's Day at Ingalls Harbor. Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, which sponsors the plunge and runs the Meals on Wheels program in Morgan County, will decide Friday if weather will allow the event to be held safely.

The Polar Bear Plunge creates lasting memories for participants.

Holliday said he underestimated how cold the Tennessee River would be when he made his initial plunge in 1985.

"I jumped in and overcame that obstacle and decided to go the next year too and it just continued," Holliday said.

Holliday used to deliver meals to elderly and disabled residents of Morgan County for the Meals on Wheels program. He said that during the 1990s, they started selling T-shirts at the event to raise money for the program.

"We started selling T-shirts and giving money to Meals on Wheels, which made me feel like we're not completely stupid, but we're doing something good," Holliday said.

"He's a legend," said former CAPNA CEO Michael Tubbs. "He believes in the community and he believes in Meals on Wheels so we're very thankful for people like Wayne." — Chilly endeavor

Holliday claims he has never gotten sick after participating in the plunge.

"I remember when my mom was alive, she thought it was kind of silly," Holliday said. "She kept telling me I was going to catch a cold, but I was never ill as a result of swimming."

Tubbs plans to make his third plunge on Saturday. He said talking with staff at CAPNA made him want to participate in the 2017 plunge.

"The day we did it, it was 22 degrees," Tubbs said. "I made a promise and a commitment so I did it. There were 50 or so people there that day, I couldn't believe that people turned out for that."

He said CAPNA Director Cindy Anderson had made hot cocoa that day for the jumpers, but most of them sprinted toward their vehicles after the jump so they could get warm.

"People were leaving as fast as possible and a reporter was trying to interview me and it was all I could do to just get words out of my mouth before my lips started turning blue," Tubbs said.

Tubbs said he started being more cautious about his jumps since that day.

"I remember the first time I jumped, a bunch of us were lined up and when I jumped, a guy dove in front of me and I actually landed on top of him," Tubbs said. "So find you a spot, don't pile in on top of everybody. Also, don't go all the way out to the end of the pier. It's a long way to swim back, especially if it's cold."

CAPNA plans to sell T-shirts again at Saturday's event as a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels. The nonprofit plans to announce any change in status of the event on its Facebook page (facebook.com/CAPofNAL). — 'Somthing crazy'

Anderson's son, Evan, has jumped a total of four times when he was a student at Danville High School.

"Me and my friends just kind of wanted to do something crazy that we thought would be funny," Evan Anderson said of the first time he participated.

Current CAPNA CEO Tim Thrasher has not made up his mind yet about participating in the 2022 plunge, but said he would be there nonetheless to support the event.

"The weather was in the 20s, but when I jumped in the water, it was even colder," Thrasher said about the first time he participated in the plunge. "It seems like it took forever to reach the surface."

Thrasher has participated in the event twice and both he and Tubbs said they wanted to lead by example as CEOs by jumping in, with their community in mind.

"I wanted to let the community know that we're behind what we're doing and the things we're doing to serve others," Thrasher said. "If I'm not willing to sacrifice, how can I ask others to sacrifice?"

Scott Chapell and his son Seaborn participated last year, but Chapell said they will have to miss the 2022 plunge as a result of schedule conflicts. In total, Chapell and his son and daughter Ann Whitney have participated in four plunges.

"The kids wanted to do something fun," Chapell said of the first time they went to the plunge. "It's just real fun for the family."

Chapell said an important thing to keep in mind is to not spend too much time on the dock.

"The more you think about it, the more you try to talk yourself out of it," Chapell said.

—wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.