Keep warm thoughts on getting in the water! Warming up again is the part that hurts!

Sending energy and prayers to your father n law, may he find the strength to enjoy his birthday!

Blessings,
Linda

Meredith,

An excellent cause indeed! I have done this myself for the RI Special Olympics every New Years Day for 7 years! Come join us at Mackerel Cove next year while visiting your family!

The worst part is the numb feet upon the exit from the water but you shall prevail!

Cheers from one Penguin to a future one:)!

Meredith,
Good luck with your penguin plunge. I know the feeling of nervousness and dread. A tip from those of us who have taken the chilly plunge jumping through a hole in the ice in northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters: Remember to wear thick wool socks so your wet feet don't freeze to the ice when you climb out.
Also, your father-in-law is in my prayers. Sending "Happy 90th Birthday" wishes to him.
Warmly, Chris

We will pray for your father-in-law. Please wish him happy birthday.

Hi Meredith!
Great idea, great cause. Or, great cause for confusion? Penguin Plunge has passed us by already. Events were on Feb 2, 9 and 16. So, is this a solo plunge??
Inquiring Vermont minds want to know.
Thanks!

Hi Meredith,
Tell your Father-in-law Happy Birthday from Wisconsin and that I will keep him in my prayers, hope he gets well soon.
Good luck on the Penguin Plunge, you have more guts then I do, you are going to freeze your butt off.
Love ya
Joan K
Wisconsin

Meredith,
I'm so glad you are coming to VT, and also that you are bringing a national awareness to our wonderful annual event; The Special Olympics Penguin Plunge. I am a school nurse, and have done the plunge into Lake Champlain for 10 years. Each year several kids from my elementary school brave the plunge with me. Our group of 12- 4th and 5th graders from Chamberlin School, South Burlington, raised over $4,000 this year for Special Olympics.
I wish you were plunging after school hours (3pm) so that we could join you! Maybe I could get a group out of school and come down to the waterfront? Would love to know what time you think you will be there.
It's great!! Don't wear too much over your bathing suit. Just gets cold and hard to change out of.
Have a great time in VT!
Becky

You Go Girl! I was so excited to hear this morning on the Today Show that you are taking the plunge, and that you are advocating for Special Olympics. You are Awesome! I just did the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics of Northern California and Nevada at Lake Tahoe on ferbruary 9th. We raised over $20,000 for Special Olympics.

I hope you enjoy your jump. You will be fine. I jumped into Lake Superior (from Duluth, MN) a couple of weeks ago. There was a this layer of ice that kept forming on the top of the water, but all of us survived so I know you will do great. Just remember have fun!

Meredith, my 13-year-old twin daughters did the Penguin Plunge in Burlington on Feb 9 this year for the first time. They are ready to do it again-- do you want company?????

Here is a link to their fundraising web page:
http://www.firstgiving.com/solgent

Here is 1 piece of advice: Wear water shoes like Teva sandals. Croc shoes can come off. We saw it happen.

Here is what my daughter Franny wrote about her Penguin Plunge experience on Feb 9 in Burlington: "The shock of the freezing lake water numbed your whole body for about 1 millionth of a second; then the cold set in. My first thought was to get myself out of there! We stayed in the water for about 5 seconds, then everybody started to move out. (fyi, I went all the way under! ;D)"

Also, I am sorry about your FIL. My dad turned 70 last week and was in the hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia on his birthday. He is in rehab now and will be going to assisted living after that.

Hi, Meredith,you go Girl! Good luck! your going to need it lol ,great cause....... Happy 90th Birthday to your father- in- law and many blessings from us here in Camp Lejeune,Swansboro North Carlina good luck. Anna Robles

Have fun plunging Meredith! I have done the Polar Plunge here in WV 3 years in a row. It is unlike anything you will ever experience! It might turn into an annual event for you like it did for me. Not to mention the Special Olympics is an EXCELLENT cause! The less you wear, the better, but the socks suggestion is a good one, I wear those water shoes things.

First of all, I’m sending along thoughts and prayers for your father-in-law and for your entire family. What a blessing to be surrounded by such a caring family for nearly a century!

Good luck with your icy plunge! Mind over body, right? My husband and I were blessed enough to have lived in Hawaii for more than four while he was serving in the military. This is only our second winter back here in the northeast, and I keep going back to look at the art I created while in paradise. It warms my soul, so it may just do the trick for you as well! Below is my website....

Good luck!!!
Kelly
http://kellyschwark.com

Meredith, My husband and I get up to the Today show every morning. I love the added hour. We love all of you on the show, and THEN we always watch for Lenny! We were concerned about him when he was gone for a couple of days. My dream is to go to NY, wave to everyone back home from the TODAY SHOW, plus get to see all of you in person. Good luck with the plunge, You are a brave person. Can't wait to see you tomorrow! You are great on the show, you are always so up- beat!! GOOD LUCK!

I will pray for your Father-in-Law... As for the penguin plunge, what a great cause! Admittedly, as someone suffering from the flu currently, I cannot think of anything less appealing than plunging into icy water. However, I'm glad a lot of people are up to the challenge.

Prayers to your father-in-law!

And good luck with the plunge tomorrow. I have enough trouble trying to get used to the water in a pool so i cant imagine jumping in a freezing lake. It's for a great cause =D

Matt and Al should do it with you since they have been bugging you all week about it ;)

As a mother of a chlld with special needs who will soon be old enough to participate in Special Olympics I am so grateful to you for what you are doing , not just in raising funds but just as important, is that you are raising awareness!! You are a very warm and giving person. Thoughts and prayers are with your father in law.

saw that clip... OMG kudos to you 2 million times! all for charity :)

Meredith, I noticed tht while you were making your Flatbread pizza this morninbg you blew on it!! I have eaten ther several times an nobody there conducts themselves in that manner. Would you expect your children to eat pizza that someone else had spread their germs on? Your action was disgusting!!

Congratulations Meredith!!! You did a GREAT job plunging! My husband and I commented this morning that we admire you so much because you're always willing to try things! I'm glad to hear you raised $20,000.00! That's fantastic and so are you!!!!!

I hope you had a great time Plunging Meredith! I am a Special Olympics Athlete from Maryland and I would like to say "thank you" for participating in a great event for such a wonderful organization. We already had the "Polar Bear Plunge" down in Maryland and I jumped in many times, this is my 3rd year participating in it. I figured I wanted to give back to Special Olympics for all it has done for me through my 12 years of participation and the 5 sports I compete in. Again, thank you for putting the awareness out there about Special Olympics and helping to show that people with Intellectual Disabilities (or any disabilities really) are just as normal and driven as any other person on our earth.

Hope you are recovering with a warm cup of Hot Chocolate and pleanty of warm clothes! You deserve it!

Meredith!! You rock! I watched this morning and you did GREAT! WOW! I don't think I could have done it! Yowza!!!! I loved the race between all of you too! Hehehe! You FIL is in my thoughts and prayers! Stay warm!!!!

Hi!
While your fun snow activites were interesting, I appreciate what you do for groups like special olympics the most.
I was sad to see that NO ONE wore a helmet or talked about the dangers of head injury while skiing. Would you please consider an update on the benefits of wearing some of the new designs for skiing, and other recreational activities like ATV use? Our 15 yr old died of massive head injuries and she did have head gear. Rebecca's great atheletic body allowed nine lives to be saved the next day via transplants.
I only wish we had known more about the safety for her sake!
Rebecca's Mom, Sue

Barbara McArdle get a life - I mean REALLY! Do you always feel the need to correct other people?

Worry about yourself - it is more than obvious that you're not perfect!

Praying for your father in law. Please keep us updated on how he's doing!!
Agape!
Trish