New year's revelers take a dip in the lake

Bill Schuchert actually sounded a little disappointed Thursday morning after taking a quick dip in Lake Michigan as part of Waukegan's 10th annual Polar Bear Plunge.

The experience, it seems, was not as challenging as he expected.

"Last year was colder," said Schuchert, 53, of Lakewood. "The wind was a lot stronger, and there was a lot more snow."

Schuchert was among the several hundred New Year's Day revelers who defied temperatures in the 20s, a stiff wind - and some would say common sense - to wade into the lake at the city's Municipal Beach.

Some, like 12-year-old Gordon Brown of Waukegan, were participating for the first time.

"I've heard a lot about it and I wanted to try," the brave Gordon said before the event.

Others, like Gwen Varney of Mundelein, were repeat plungers.

"The first time was easy because I didn't know what to expect," said Varney, 50, who first took the plunge in 2005 and went again this year at her niece's request.

The men, women and children who entered the slushy lake Thursday morning did so in small groups. Firefighters in wetsuits waited a few yards off shore.

Many participants gave the firefighters high-fives before returning to land - and the towels and warm clothes awaiting them there.

McHenry resident Tod Schneider volunteered inside the registration tent but planned to be one of the last people in the lake. He's done it four or five times before and said the key is to psych yourself up.

"Just pretend like you're jumping into the water in the summertime," said Schneider, 48, of McHenry. "To be honest, the water isn't much colder now."

The Polar Bear Plunge raises money for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County. Last year's event brought in about $2,000, an organizer said.