Cheering the Chesapeake

It may be below freezing with another ice storm on the way, but now is a good time to celebrate one of the most valuable venues in the State of Maryland – our Chesapeake Bay.

It was showcased this weekend in the 15th Annual Polar Bear Plunge, sponsored by the Maryland State Police.The event is the largest fundraiser in the state for Special Olympics Maryland, a year-round organization to provide sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities

The Merry Marketeers didn’t plunge this year, since the Turn Ten didn’t send their usual busload of daring divers.  But our intrepid quarterback, Joe Cool, not only served as honorary chair of the event, but took another dip in the drink to show his support.

Sandy Point is a state-owned park which can accommodate thousands for any number of activities, which includes festivals, concerts, and water related competitions.  (This is where the Chesapeake Bay Swim, a challenge that brings competitive swimmers from all over the country, is staged.)  But on this cold January day, it celebrates the hardy and warm-hearted (along with festive weirdos) who gather for a very special cause.

While jumping in the Bay at the balmy 33 degrees (you should have been there last year when it was snowing and the sand was frozen!) isn’t for everyone, there were other Bay celebrants enjoying their own annual ritual — the Baltimore Boat Show, held at the Convention Center.

The annual event serves as a mid-winter reminder that boating season will soon be upon us (albeit not soon enough.)  It unveils what is new and exciting in recreational boating, but also features family boats, fishing skiffs, and those exciting vroom-vroom fiberglass skimmers who race on the Bay and tributaries every year.  It also offered seminars, exhibits, and plenty of shopping.

I wish we could calculate the economic impact of the Bay as a sports and recreation venue and tourist attraction.  We track a lot of activities in Sports Marketing — sailboat races, fishing tournaments, boat charters, hydrofoil challenges, open water swims, etc.  But that doesn’t count all the ancillary operations, like restaurants, hotels, boat and kayak rentals, marinas and services that the venue supports.  In truth, our Bay could perhaps be our most profitable facility in revenues produced and jobs generated.

So even if you aren’t up for jumping into it in January, stop for a moment to appreciate this marvelous resource that just keeps producing for us, all year long.  And make a point to spend some quality time there when the weather gets just a little warmer.

Joe and the Snow — Highlights of the Polar Plunge

It was snowing hard before we left Baltimore, but the intrepid Picklodeons rolled merrily along.  Traffic and accidents on 97 caused us to divert to a southern route, but we reached Sandy Point in time for our scheduled 1:00 plunge.

As promised, Terry came through with clearance to the VIP tent, so after my refreshing dip in the drink.  I was able to get the coveted picture of Joe Flacco, albeit not with Tweety.  (That’s Miss Maryland running interference here.)

Also ran into Governor O’Malley after his dive.  This pix was taken shortly before the last plunge was cancelled for medical reasons (not to mention the increasingly bad driving conditions that made transit officials want to clear the park.)

The actual plunge was exhilarating.  Since the air was much colder than the water, it wasn’t as bad as I thought (not that I stuck around to frolic in the surf.)  The sand stung as badly as sea nettles, particularly the grains that remained frozen.

I wish I had a picture of me in the water with the rest of the Picklesicles, but there was a camera malfunction and alas, the snapshot was not saved.

Only evidence that I have of being there is on a clip from the Fox evening news.  Here I am with Ravens super fan Sports Steve.  My only noteworthy comment to his preparations for the frigid conditions was that his heart kept him warm.  Sports Steve raised over $11,000 for Special Olympics.  And his beads didn’t drag him under.

At the end of a very cold day, the worthiness of the cause and the warmth in our hearts is was what everyone took home with them.

(What they were serving on the buses helped too.)

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_2812.shtml

Surf and Snowflakes — Our Day at the Beach

The forecasters aren’t kidding.  There really is snow in the air.  Even if most of it tracks south, the Picklesicles will be slushing, not storming, the beach at Sandy Point.

Tweety is on her way to the Warehouse, and we’ll be joining the rest of the Frozen Pickles for our day in the Bay.  We’ll be giving you real time updates via blog and Twitter (if we can figure it out.)

We’re still waiting for Terry to come through with the secret password to access Joe Flacco’s VIP tent.  Since our leader is eminently resourceful, we’re sure this intel will reach us enroute.

Countdown to Craziness

It’s now official — Tweety and I have joined the Frozen Pickles Polar Bear Plunge team.  That means we get to ride the Pickleodeon bus to Sandy Point, wear our team hat and flash freeze our buns in brine for a very worthy sports endeavor — the Special Olympics.

An additional ingredient in the Frozen Pickle recipe may be snow, so we maybe closer to Slurpees before this is over.

Despite the elements, Tweety and Blogue will be reporting live from the action on the beach this Saturday.  Terry’s only assignment is to find what tent Joe Flacco will be warming and secure access for his pair of popsicles. 

Having infinite faith in his resourcefulness, we plan to get close enough to snap a pic for the blog.  (Much easier to get in range when Gaither and Oher aren’t around.)

Stay tuned.

Freezing with Flacco

I usually don’t heed messages plastered across the  back end of a bus, but this transit derriere was sporting a dewy, dreamy image of Joe Flacco.  Intrigued, I chased those commuters for three blocks down Cathedral in order to learn more at the next stop.  (Note to ad agency – this campaign works.)

The mobile billboard was a plug for the Annual Polar Bear Plunge.  If the picture had shown more than Joe’s face, it would have revealed a few goosebumps.  For it wasn’t the Caribbean dripping off him , it was the Chesapeake — in January.  At least they snapped the shot before his lips turned the color of his eyes.

The Polar Bear Plunge is for the big (certainly not faint) of heart.  It has become a spirited celebration of  generous Marylanders who support the mission of the Special Olympics.  Begun by Maryland State Troopers 13 years ago, the Plunge has raised millions in pledges by those who consider it a  privilege to jump in the Bay every winter.  Last year, more than 11,000 –including Joe Flacco and Governor Martin O’Malley, took the plunge.

Truly inspired, I pitched the leader of the Merry Marketeers on the idea of having Team Terry participate this year as a character building exercise, like the Sea Trials midshipmen do Plebe year.  The reception was even chillier than the beach at Sandy Point.  We could do our team building in a visit to Wisp and maybe a tube slide on the slopes, I was told, but frolicking in the slushy surf was out.

Since Tweety has just returned from the DL, even the prospect of sharing a warming tent with Joe Cool is not going to lure her into this lemming-like exercise. 

Thus resigned to spending yet another year on the sidelines, I still want to use the opportunity to showcase what a fine facility Sandy Point State Park is.  You might not consider the Polar Bear Plunge to be a legitimate sporting venture, but it does make great use of one of the State’s natural gems.

As mentioned earlier in the year, Sandy Point is also the staging area for the annual Great Chesapeake Swim, a challenging 4.4 mile open water race to the Eastern Shore.  Sandy Point has also hosted popular maritime festivals, including the one welcoming the Whitbread ‘Round the World sailors.

So I guess if I want to freeze with Flacco, I’m going to have to do it in Foxborough.  Anyone who thinks Joe is going to flinch in the intemperate climes of New England needs to check out the back of the bus.