Special Olympics NH hopes to top last year's $1M total on Winni Dip Weekend March 6-7

LACONIA — What began as a small, but lively, occasion in 2000 — where 162 people took a plunge into the frigid Atlantic waters of Hampton Beach — has since grown into six events over two weekends, ending with dips into Lake Winnipesaukee.

March 6-7 is Winni Dip Weekend, where participants will brave freezing water to raise funds for Special Olympics New Hampshire. The Winni, Mega, Cool Schools, and Law Enforcement dips will all take place at the Margate Resort.

The weekend kicks off Friday, March 6, with the Cool Schools Dip. Shelby Cote, Special Olympics NH director of communications and volunteers, said in the past there were two dips — one for high schoolers and one for middle school — which have now been combined into one event. The fundraising minimum is $200 for middle school, and $250 for high school.

“We rebranded the event to be one big, exciting school event,” Cote said. “This came after such exciting growth in the events that we had last year.”

The idea, she said, is for students and staff to raise funds as a team for Special Olympics. Nearly $74,000 had been raised as of Feb. 27, with Bow Memorial School leading the charge with $11,795 raised.

The Mega Dip starts at noon on Friday, and wraps up at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The event involves dippers going in once an hour, even overnight, to raise money for the organization.

“This was spearheaded by a handful of law enforcement folks who said they would go in 24 times,” Cote said.

The Mega Dippers raise a lot. “DIY Mega Dippers” are asked to raise a minimum of $1,500, and in-person Mega Dippers raise at least $2,500.

Both the Winni and Law Enforcement dips take place on Saturday, and the minimum amount dippers need to raise is $400 to participate.

More than $20,500 by 25 dippers has been raised for the Winni Dip thus far, with The Frosted Fillies setting the pace as the top team at $9,097. There are 113 dippers signed up for the Law Enforcement Dip, which has raised just shy of $54,000 so far. The top team is the Derry Police Department, which has raised $7,392.

Cote said a great aspect of the Law Enforcement Dip is proceeds are specifically earmarked for an athlete’s first year of participation in Special Olympics NH.

“Those funds will go directly toward offsetting those expenses,” Cote said.

Each day, check-in is 8-10 a.m., with a costume parade inside the Margate at 10:15 a.m. Participants will start hitting the water at 11 a.m., and lunch and awards follow.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and competition in “Olympic-type sports” for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The Winni Dip and Penguin Plunge are major fundraisers for the organization, and in 2024, the events — known as “Winter Water Sports” — raised more than $1 million for the first time.

“The word that comes to mind is ‘electric’ for both weekends,” Cote said. “It’s a bunch of people who really want to support the Special Olympics, and they go all out.”

This year’s them is Jungle Safari, and she expects people to dress for the occasion. The daily costume parade will be judged by a panel, who will award prizes for top costumes for both team and individual accolades.

“Some even choose to keep their costumes on when they go in the water,” Cote said. “I think, typically, half of the people in the water go in with costumes.”

After hitting the water, the participants will change into dry cloths and attend the Wild Splash Bash in the ballroom. The area will be decked out in jungle decorations, and Cote said a hot meal will be served before awards.

While extreme cold weather denied participants the opportunity to dive into Hampton Beach waters this year — on Feb. 8, temperatures were simply unsafe — Cote said the fundraiser was held indoors the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom.

“It was the first time in 27 years that people couldn’t go in the water, but we were blown away by how many people still came and took part in the fundraiser.”

Cote said it is incredible to see how much the event has grown over the years.

“The growth of this has happened so aggressively, in such an exciting way, that it has to be six different events, at two locations, over two weekends,” Cote said.

For Cote, this is her team’s fifth year taking part. She said it is common for teams to come back, although some see it as a bucket list item, while others plan their entire year around it. Cote said there is still time to get involved and raise funds for the organization.

“A lot of folks at this point will say it is too late to raise money, but on average, folks raise the minimum amount within 72 hours of starting,” Cote said.

Funds for the Winni Dip directly benefit Special Olympics NH, which have their winter games this week, March 2-4, at Waterville Valley.

For more information, visit fundraising.sonh.org/winter-water-sports.