WHAT'S GOING ON?
JEN: WELL, IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I'M HERE AND COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF THE GROUP BEHIND ME.
IT'S THE WBAL-TV RADIO MEDSTAR UNION MEMORIAL PLUNGE.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
AND THIS IS OUR GENERAL MANAGER, DAN JOERRES.
TELL US WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST WAYS TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS.
IT'S MY FAVORITE SATURDAY OF THE YEAR.
I LOVE IT.
WE'VE GOT 60 EMPLOYEES, CORPORATE PARTNERS, FRIENDS PLUNGING WITH US TODAY.
RAISED A LOT OF MONEY.
THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME TO COME OUT TO SANDY POINT TODAY.
DO YOUR PART.
THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERS AT MEDSTAR, BRAD CHAMBERS AND CEO JIM SCHMUTZ.
>> THIS WOULDN'T HAVE POSSIBLE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS WITH MEDSTAR HELPING US.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> IT'S A WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.
EVERYONE ACROSS MEDSTAR, UNION MEMORIAL AND GOOD SAMARITAN LOVE VOLUNTEERING, SEEING THE SMILES ON THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES.
WHAT A GREAT DAY.
JEN: THIS HAS BECOME SO PERSONAL FOR YOU.
>> THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR DOING IT.
I LOVE COMING OUT.
IT'S SPECIAL.
WINTER IS HERE WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE POLAR BEAR PLUNGE.
JEN: INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS LIKE THIS, THESE GUYS COMING TOGETHER, MEANS THE WORLD TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS.
>> IT'S AN AWESOME DEMONSTRATION OF SUPPORT FROM ALL OF HEARST, BAL TV FOR SURE.
STEPS UP IN A BIG WAY.
DAN AND HIS LEADERSHIP.
IT SHOWS WITH HIS TEAM.
HE'S CREATED A GREAT CULTURE.
IT FEEDS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'LL HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE, AND IT'S THE BEST OF MARYLAND.
>> THESE GUYS ARE READY TO GO IN.
YOU GUYS STAY WITH ME.
ARE WE READY?
>> WE'RE READY!
>> LET'S GO IN THE WATER, GO, GO, GO!
GO IN!
THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO THE WATER, JUMP IN AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR T SPECIAL OLYMPICS TLA ATHLETES.
DON'T YOU ROUGH SEEING THE ENTHUSIASM?
>> IT'S 30 SECONDS OF COLD BUT HOURS AND DAYS OF FUN, RIGHT?
JEN: IT IS.
YOUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE TIRELESSLY BEEN WORKING, ANSWERING THE CALLS.
>> THEY'VE BEEN ANSWERING PHONES FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS, RAISING DOLLARS FOR THE WONDERFUL CAUSE.
YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE FACES TODAY.
WHAT A GREAT CAUSE TO DO THIS FOR US.
JEN: IT'S YOUR TURN.
GET IN THAT WATER.
WHEN I FIRST MET DAN JOERRES, WHEN HE FIRST BECAME OUR GENERAL MANAGER, HE SAID THAT THIS EVENT WAS THE SINGLE MOST BEST THING HE'D EVER SEEN AND HE WAS GOING TO BE COMMITTED TO BEING A
PARTICIPATE OF IT EVERY YEAR.
>> IT GETS BETTER EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S ALL FOR OUR 7,782 ATHLETES WHO PARTICIPATE FREE OF CHARGE.
THE SUPPORT YOU SHOW IS OVERWHELMING AND MAKES THE LIVES OF OUR ATHLETE ALSO BETTER.
AND INTERNALLY, THE LIVES OF EVERYBODY IN MARYLAND.
JEN: WAIT, DAN, COME BACK.
I HATE TO DO THIS TO YOU.
TELL ME HOW IT WAS.
>> IT'S COLD, JENNIFER.
IT'S A COLD MORNING ON THE BAY, BUT A GREAT CAUSE.
JEN: I LOVE YOU GO ALL IN FOR THIS.
>> IF I DON'T, MY KIDS WILL GIVE ME A HARD TIME, AND SO WILL JIM AND BRAD.
JEN: SPEAKING OF YOUR KIDS, BUT YOU HAD YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU HERE TODAY.
>> MANDATORY, EVERY YEAR FOR THE JOERRES FAMILY.
>> IT'S A SPECIAL DAY TO BE PART OF THIS, REPRESENT MEDSTAR HEALTH, WBAL, YOU CAN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER.
JEN: GO GET WARM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF IT.
OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN EXCITED TO DO THIS.
THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE HAD FIRST TIMERS WHO WERE NERVOUS, WEREN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.
IF YOU'RE SOMEONE SITTING AT HOME AND WANT TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN, DO IT.
JOHN BALDWIN, OUR PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR, HOW WAS IT?
>> COLD.
IN A WORD, COLD.
VERY.
TOP OF YOUR HEAD TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR FEET.
BUT IT WARMS YOUR HEART TO DO IT, JEN.
YOU KNOW THAT, 24 TIMES IN 24 HOURS.
AS A SUPER PLUNGER, CONGRATULATIONS FOR THAT.
WE RAISE A LOT OF MONEY FOR GREAT KIDS, ATHLETES TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SPORTS THEY LOVE TO DO ALL YEAR LONG.
AND WE MAKE GREAT FRIENDS WITH THEM TOO.
SOME OF THE BEST FRIENDS THAT WE HAVE ARE THE SPECIAL OLYMPIANS.
JEN: SO WELL SAID AND SO TRUE FROM THE BOTTOM OF YOUR HEART, JOHN.
THANKS FOR COMING OUT.
>> SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.
JEN: YOU GOT IT.
ONCE YOU DO IT ONCE, YOU WAN