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Sunshine lures 150 to annual Turkey Plunge

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Brrr! A bracing Turkey Plunge on Saturday.
BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Brrr! A bracing Turkey Plunge on Saturday.

Under sunny skies and amid the raucous barking of dogs and squealing of super excited children, about 150 hearty bathers of all ages “plunged” into the chilly waters off Crescent Beach on Saturday morning in support of the Shelter Island library.

While some went in just ankle deep — as allowed by the rules of the annual Turkey Plunge — others did a quick full immersion in the 55-degree water, including a few who stayed in well after most participants had returned to family and friends waiting on shore with warm towels.

Andrew Ward, an organizer of the 8th annual plunge for the Friends of the Shelter Island Public Library, led the countdown as bathers and their pep squads gathered behind yellow caution tape strung across the beach. As the digital clock approached 60 seconds, plungers began removing outer layers to prepare for the race across the sand.

With 10 seconds remaining, those gathered began to call out the numbers until at three seconds, the dozens of exuberant children at the front of the queue broke through the tape and launched what has been called the “world’s shortest benefit.”

The fleet of foot were in and out of the water within seconds, weaving among those still making their way down the pebbled beach.

And the winners are …
Since its inception in 2009, the plunge has been a “costumes encouraged” event. Winners of this year’s costume contest, adult male and female, were Christopher Carey, whose bell-ringing “Santa Claws” featured lobster pincers; and Jennie Adler who as “Lady Library” wearing a hoop skirt decorated with laminated book covers declared “Libraries are liberty!”

The winning girl, Sylvia Lipsyte, dressed as a “Ferry Princess,” and winning boy, Daniel Nachomi, plunged as a “Ninja Cobra.”

The best family costume went to four members of the Stacchetti family, who dressed as eggs in support of buying local farm products.

Ann Biddlecom, wearing front and back cardboard cutout eggs marked “Buy Local” and “Island Eggs” said of the event, “Its a great way to take time to come together and show your support for the community.”

She was joined by Matteo Coullare, Ennio and Camila Stacchetti and the family dog, Dobby. He wore an egg carton marked “Eggs $5” strapped to his back.

“Don’t take your library for granted,” Ms. Biddlecom said. “Libraries need us and we need libraries.”

A group from Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, calling themselves the Kale Squad, handed out freshly picked kale stems. Gregory Sienken, dressed as a Shelter Island box turtle, carried a sign familiar to Islanders that warns drivers and mowers to be on the lookout for turtles.

Library Director Terry Lucas, who served as a costume judge, was busy before the plunge meeting contestants with the other judges, School Superintendent Christine Finn and Supervisor-elect Gary Gerth.

“Its such a good fundraiser because, while it takes a lot of planning, it doesn’t take up a lot of time on the day and people get such a kick out of it,” Ms. Lucas said, noting that the funds raised by the Friends of the Library support programs beyond the library’s regular budget.

Marian Brownlie, who worked the registration table (at one point donning a turkey hat), reported after the event that about $13,000 was raised.

A tradition honored
Plungers paid a $25 entrance fee ($30 on the day of the event) and many recruited sponsors to support them. In exchange, they received Turkey Plunge pins and a “Splash for Cash” T-shirt by local artist and Reporter cartoonist Peter Waldner.

Onlookers could further contribute by purchasing a shirt or a hat (both will be available at the library’s upcoming Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair this Saturday) or enjoying a $5 cup of hot turkey chili donated by The Shelter Island Tavern.

The Thanksgiving weekend tradition began in 2009 when Peter and Gail Vielbig’s granddaughter Charlotte, while visiting on Thanksgiving weekend, told them of a plunge to benefit the Nantucket Library.

Gail, who was active with the Friends of the Library, “took off with it,” he said.
Unlike Saturday’s event where temperatures were in the mid-40s, that first plunge took place on a bitterly cold day.

Though Gail Vielbig passed away in 2014, the Turkey Plunge has proceeded unabated, raising around $15,000 a year for library programming.

Supporting a pillar
Costumes ranged from the simply silly, like Jonathan Cary’s enormous blonde wig, to the complex, like Susannah Morrow’s abstract “expanding fish universe” headdress made of a plastic Hoberman sphere within which dangled an array of colorfully painted fish.

Hers was one of the many sea-themed costumes admired by Ms. Finn, who took over the reins at the school in August and told the Reporter “definitely nothing like this” took place back in her old district, Carle Place.

Mr. Gerth said he was delighted by the turnout, which in addition to the 150 participants included about an equal number of spectators.

“It attracted a lot of people from off Island who’d come for the Thanksgiving Day weekend,” he observed. “The library is one of those pillars of the community that brings us together, and events like this unify and edify people. It was a lot of fun.”

Bridget and Colleen Carey, among the many members of four generations of the Carey family that took part, stood shivering on the beach in their swimsuits with Lauren Hanypsiak just before the plunge. When asked why they’d decided to join in, they all laughed and said, speaking over each other, “It’s just fun!”

Matt and Hazell Badger also opted for homemade costumes for their family. Little Mateo wore two white pillows tied at the shoulders and was the marshmallow in what his father described as “The Badger s’mores” with mom and dad and brother, Andre, wearing cardboard cutouts in the shape of graham crackers and a chocolate bar.

A first time for everything
Some Islanders were taking the plunge for the first time, including members of the Bethge family whose red Silver Beach home — headquarters of the Menantic Yacht Club — inspired the name “Team Red House.” They gathered on the beach psyching up for the plunge while Commodore Pete Bethge kept the towels (and himself) warm in his station wagon idling nearby.

“We are all beginners,” said Steve Shepstone, calling out a brother-in-law, Rob Bethge for inspiring the group.

“Rob suggested it hoping no one would take him up on it and we all said ‘sure,’” said Melissa Bethge Shepstone.

“I’ve done scuba diving in Antartica, and this can’t be that much colder,” Rob said, adding, after further reflection, “but I did have a dry suit on there.”