UPS drivers plunge into frigid water for Salvation Army

LACONIA — A few drivers from United Parcel Service, not willing to accept that the Salvation Army’s fundraising Turkey Plunge was canceled this year, found some chilly water to jump into so they could generate donations for the charitable organization.

This is the Lakes Region, after all, so, when the annual event at Opechee Cove was canceled over concerns about water quality, they simply found another spot — Bartlett Beach on Lake Winnisquam.

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, the drivers, in their brown uniforms, dove into the bracingly cold water.

“It took your breath away, but I wasn’t really frozen,” said Mark Emery, 60, one of the drivers. “One of the guys did a snow angel on the beach when we got out.”

Because there are no bathrooms there, one of the men brought a little heated fishing hut where they could change into dry clothes.

The event raised $3,276 for the Salvation Army. The men raised donations of $3,126, and a couple of people on the beach were so impressed that they contributed another $150.

Previous Turkey Plunge events have raised $10,000 for the Salvation Army, which maintains a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Laconia at 177 Union Avenue.

The organization is looking for a different location for next year’s plunge.

High levels of E. coli bacteria have been measured at Opechee Cove.