I would like to clarify a misunderstanding that was created as a result of an article in the March 10 publication of The Caroline Progress titled “Walmart gets OK from Supervisors.”
The article detailed events from the March 1 Board of Supervisors meeting and covered topics such as the Walmart project, the FRED transit system, and the Polar Bear Plunge. The part of the article that covered the Polar Bear Plunge was, at best, inaccurate.
In this part of the article, it is stated that I suggested some of the money that is raised in donations from various plungers across the county be used to cover the costs of holding the event. This is simply not true. I have been an active participant in the Polar Bear Plunge for the past five years and the event has been held in my community, Lake Land’or. I believe the event to be a great example of the spirit and generosity of Caroline County. I have witnessed people from across the county come to dive into water that is consistently below 40 degrees to raise money for various causes. Money from this event has helped numerous churches raise funds for their food bank and has been used to help those who cannot afford their winter heating bills. This year, around $8,000 was raised by the various organizations and plungers that participated. I never stated that any of the donation money ever be used to pay for the costs of hosting the event.
My request to the Board of Supervisors was to consider making the Polar Bear Plunge a county sponsored event. I then requested that the county put no more than $2,000 per year into the event to help defray some of the costs of any community hosting the plunge. Over the past several years of the Polar Bear Plunge, Lake Land’or and Lake Caroline have hosted the event with Wright’s Chapel United Methodist Church organizing the charitable organizations involved. Such events, no matter where they are held, have costs associated with them. My suggestion was to have the county help defray some of those operating costs by becoming a sponsor of the event to ensure that the plunge continues into the future.
Also in the article, I am quoted “They decided not to participate this year” in reference to Wright’s Chapel United Methodist Church. This quote is reported out of context. Wright’s Chapel did indeed bring a strong presence to the Polar Bear Plunge with many church members and leaders participating. The intention of my statement was that Wright’s Chapel United Methodist Church chose not to act in an administrative role for the Polar Bear Plunge this year. I have the utmost respect for Pastor Charles Tillapaugh and the Wright’s Chapel Church community and have never doubted their commitment and responsiveness to Caroline County.
Jeffrey S. Black Western Caroline, Board of Supervisors
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