Anyone taking a St. Patrick’s Day plunge into the icy waters off Hendricks Head in Southport must have a pretty good reason, and a couple of Boothbay Region Elementary School educational technicians do. Roberta Blaney and Ed Brewer made the annual trek into the ocean to benefit the local Special Olympics program. For nearly two decades, composite room teacher Toby LeConte along with volunteers Sue and Tom Witt, have organized a winter fundraiser featuring participants wading into cold, cold water. The event began when sisters Julia and Amy Irish challenged Tom Witt to donate $100 to Special Olympics if they plunged into the ocean on a winter’s day. The first plunge took place on New Year’s Day, but was later moved to February vacation and renamed the Passion Plunge.

The fundraiser found a March home as February vacation took a toll on volunteers, so the Leprechaun Leap was born. Typically, nearly two dozen leapers participate, but the coronavirus curtailed local Special Olympians’ participation. “Due to the virus, Special Olympics Maine won’t let our students participate,” LeConte said. “Today, we might have six, two, four. I won’t know until everybody gets here.”

The leap only attracted two leapers which put a damper on the fundraising efforts. This is the only fundraiser for the local Special Olympics team. LeConte reported the fundraiser usually raises $1,000 to $3,000 per year. Proceeds pay for equipment, meals and travel for the two major Maine Special Olympics in Maine. “The school provides us with considerable funds and the fundraiser really helps us pay for the extras like a tennis racket or some other need for our team,” she said.

On March 17, it was a typical cold St. Patrick’s Day in Southport. The temperature was 39F and ocean waters were an estimated 38F. This was Blaney’s fifth trip into the frosty ocean waters. And the veteran leaper explained what it’s like. “It’s not so bad going in, but coming out is cold,” Blaney said. Her fellow ed tech Brewer described the experience in one word. “Cold,” he said. This is Brewer’s fourth time participating. “I work in Ms. LeConte’s room and when she asked I thought, ‘Why not.’”