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Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Dr. Bret Wagenhorst accepts the check for Meals on Wheels.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette As the 2025 winner, Dr. Bret Wagenhorst is the first to experience the chilly waters of the Tiftarea YMCA kiddie pool. Wagenhorst raised $10,101 for Meals on Wheels.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Cruz Chambliss kicks his feet up as he crosses between slide and pool. Chambliss represented Called to Care.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette David Pollock was the only one in costume this year, wearing a pickle suit and pickleballs for his charity, Tiftarea YMCA pickleball scholarships.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Davis Garner almost has the first heel in in the experience of the full coldness of the YMCA pool water. Garner plunged for the Dream Center.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Every plunger reacted when their full bodies went into the pool, especially Hospice of Tift County rep DeAnn Benefield.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette All 10 Polar Bear Plunge contestants for 2025.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Josh Pridemore (Tift County Commission on Children & Youth) makes a quick exit from the pool.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Cold water wasn’t too much for Dr. Mac Sims, who is fully immersed after taking the slide. Sims plunged for Simply Grace Rescue.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Russ Flowers tries to shake off the chill from the Polar Bear Plunge slide. The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence was Flowers’ group.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Sam Skaggs muscles through any shivering in the Polar Bear Plunge’s main event Wednesday. Skaggs repped Alzheimer’s Association.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tom Shoup gets soaked while plunging for Kiwanis Club.

TIFTON — Tift Countians brought in 2025 with a bit of tradition, the annual Tiftarea YMCA Polar Bear Plunge. Ten individuals slid and shivered for a good cause, raising monies for local charitable organizations they represented.

Representing Meals on Wheels, Dr. Bret Wagenhorst won for the first time since 2020. Wagenhorst’s $10,101 broke the previous fundraising mark, set only a year ago by Sam Wright for Brother Charlie’s Rescue Center. Wright raised $8,750.

Tiftarea YMCA CEO Jason Bishoff said a total of $14,206 was raised for this year’s Plunge. Last year’s overall total was $15,530, which is the overall mark.

Bishoff said it felt good to be able to support so many local groups.  “It feels good to be involved in that,” Bishoff said. He was particularly proud of Wagenhorst’s number. “The highest individual we’ve ever had.”

As the winner, Meals on Wheels gets 100% of the money Wagenhorst raised. Since all 10 individuals slid into the kiddie pool, their charities get 50% of the money, with the other half going to the YMCA.

Others plunging this year, and their charities, were: DeAnn Benefield (Hospice of Tift County), Cruz Chambless (Called to Care), Russ Flowers (Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence), Davis Garner (Dream Center), David Pollock (YMCA pickleball), Josh Pridemore (Tift County Commission on Children & Youth), Tom Shoup (Kiwanis Club), Dr. Mac Sims (Simply Grace Rescue) and Sam Skaggs (Alzheimer’s Association).

Bishoff did not record a pool temperature, but outside the pool was 51 degrees at the time of the slide.

“I guarantee you it was cold,” he said, with a bit of a snicker. In years past Bishoff has been one of the plungers.

Nearly everyone who hit the water remarked on its coldness. All except Skaggs exited immediately; he went fully under to find Garner’s glasses at the bottom of the pool, which had fallen off when Garner came off the slide. Many found their way to the warming pool after, which Bishoff said is 84 degrees.

A good crowd attended, include several from the Tift County Fire Department. They were there to cheer on Chambliss, who is a firefighter.