Meredith gets ready for 2nd Annual Winni Dip event

Woodstock Chief of Police Doug Moorhead makes his dip into Lake Winnepesaukee during the 2009 Winni Dip. Courtesy photo.

Meredith - The Second Winnipesaukee Dip will take place on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at noon at the town docks in Meredith. One hundred dippers representing police, fire, emergency response agencies and citizen’s groups from throughout the state will take a plunge into the icy waters of Lake Winnipesaukee for a good cause. The Winni Dip is part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run fundraising efforts for Special Olympics New Hampshire sponsored by the NH Association of Chiefs of Police. Participation is open to everyone and spectactors are encouraged to attend.

The Winni Dippers will make their entrance into the Big Lake at or near the boat launch at the Meredith Docks. Water temperature for the day is expected to be at or slightly below freezing. According to the National Weather Bureau the average high temperature in Meredith during January is 29 degrees; the average low is 12 degrees.

The event is open to everyone and registration can be accomplished by following the Winni Dip prompts on the Special Olympics NH secure web site at www.SONH.org. A twenty five dollar, non-refundable commitment fee is due at registration for each individual and a total of $250 in contributions is the minimum to participate and must be turned in at the on-site registration or on line before the event. Each Dipper can create their own web page and communicate with their potential supporters on line. It’s fast, easy and safe.

Participants in the Winni Dip will include representatives of Public Safety Agencies from throughout the state and Meredith’s own Town Manager Phil Warren has signed up to take the Dip. Police departments from Meredith, Nashua, Woodstock Chief of Police Doug Moorehead and Tilton Chief of Police Bob Cormier are already signed up as well as a number of State Police Troopers. The Tilton Fire Department is sending a team as is the Tilton Rotary Club. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is inviting members of Public Safety Organizations from all communities to participate. Participants will include the general public, business sponsors, friends of Special Olympics and other agencies from throughout the state.

Carol Cray, Special Olympics Development Director, said that the Winni Dip Management Team expects to double the number of participants that took the Dip in 2009 in 2010.

Participants may designate 15% of the funds they raise to the agency of their choice. All agencies that receive funds from the Winnipesaukee Dip will be registered not for profit organizations or government agencies. Mike Sielicki, Chief of Police in Rindge and Director of the Torch Run said, “This is a great way for all public safety agencies to support the Special Olympics and earn some money for local projects.”

A costume competition among participants will be held at the Winnipesaukee Ballroom at Church Landing before the actual Dip takes place. The costume theme for 2010 is “Superheroes.”

Registration on the day of the event will be at the Winnipesaukee Ballroom. Participants will turn in their donations and collect their Winni Dip souvenir incentives. Each dipper will be assigned to a specific “wave” of dippers to control the number of folks going into the water at one time. The Meredith Fire Department and the NH Fish and Game Department oversee the details and safety procedures for the event.

The Winnipesaukee Dip is the first in a series of three Plunges that SONH will conduct in 2010. The original Plunge at Hampton Beach is celebrating its eleventh year and a second annual High School Plunge for high school students and faculty, also at Hampton Beach, will be held on the weekend of February 6th 2010. More information on all Special Olympics events and programs can be found at http://www.sonh.org.