Boulder Polar Plunge

This being Colorado and all, there’s no telling what the weather might be like on the day of the 32nd annual Boulder Polar Plunge, when tradition calls for jumping into the Boulder Reservoir for a brisk bath to celebrate the New Year while helping others. “Our volunteers don’t mind when...

By Colin Bane

January 1, 2015

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This being Colorado and all, there’s no telling what the weather might be like on the day of the 32nd annual Boulder Polar Plunge, when tradition calls for jumping into the Boulder Reservoir for a brisk bath to celebrate the New Year while helping others.

“Our volunteers don’t mind when it’s sunny and warm out, but our plungers seem to like it best when there’s snow on the ground and ice on the water,” says Elissa Smith, special-events manager for the Boulder County AIDS Project. “It seems like for every first-timer, we’ll have somebody else who has been participating for decades. It’s a unique and extreme way to welcome the brand-new year and make a fresh start by doing something crazy, and people just love it for some reason.”

Smith’s organization took over the event last year, and a portion of the registration ($30 for adults, $25 for kids under twelve on event day) now supports BCAP’s work providing HIV care and prevention services. Check-in for the event begins at 11 a.m., and the first plungers hit the water at noon; save $5 on registration by signing up in advance at bcap.org. The Boulder Reservoir is at 5565 North 51st Street in Boulder.
Thu., Jan. 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 2015

Colin Bane

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