Colden Pond Plunge raises $1,700 for charity

plunge medium

Northwest Instructor of Agriculture Rod Barr leaps into Colden Pond Friday,
March 29, during a charity event to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research
Hosptial. About 200 students gathered around the pond to watch Barr and three
Northwest students jump into the icy water.

Skies were clear, and the temperature had climbed into the lower 40s, but it still wasn’t exactly swimming weather as the four winners of the Colden Pond Plunge jumped into the icy reservoir located behind Colden Hall on the Northwest campus.

The stunt raised $1,700 for Up ‘til Dawn, a student-led charity drive benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

In the days leading up to the event, students and others placed money in containers in the J.W. Jones Student Union labeled with the names of those competing for a chance to jump. The four entrants who brought in the most money earned the right to take the Plunge.

Colden Pond has been ice covered for weeks, and Campus Safety officers had to cut a hole for the winners to leap through -- on Leap Day, no less.

Taking the Plunge were Logan Galloway, a senior management/marketing major from Des Moines; Steven Wilson of Alpha Kappa Lambda, a sophomore elementary education major from Plattsburg; Rod Barr, an instructor in the University’s Department of Agriculture; and Wesley Miller of Phi Delta Theta, a senior broadcasting major from Raytown.

Contributors placed $700 in the containers, but Barr raised another $1,000 on his own, according to Campus Activities Director Angel McAdams Prescott.

“He said if he was going to jump, he was going to do it for a lot more than $700,” McAdams Prescott said after the event.

During the event, safety was the first consideration. The bottom of Colden Pond was checked for obstructions, and the jumpers landed practically in the arms of Maryville Public Safety officers wearing insulated, waterproof suits.

ARAMARK, the University’s food service provider, donated hot chocolate for the jumpers to drink after being helped from the water.

Founded in 1998, Up 'til Dawn has grown into a nationwide philanthropy with nearly 200 participating colleges and universities. The campaign consists of a variety of fundraisers held during the fall and spring and culminates with all-night celebrations at each institution.

Northwest’s concluding casino-themed all-nighter will take place Friday night, March 14, through the early morning of Saturday, March 15, in Lamkin Activity Center. The free evening, which will include live entertainment and complimentary pizza, is open to all Northwest students, whether or not they participated in the campaign.

Last year, Northwest students raised more than $50,000 for St. Jude. This year’s goal is $75,000. Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, the hospital is famous for providing care to children with life-threatening illnesses regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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