When one thinks of winter activities, it is usually hockey, ice skating, snowball fights and building a snowman.
On Sunday Delta Sigma Phi added jumping into a frozen pond to the list of possible yet highly cold activities.
The charity event, dubbed “Arctic Plunge,” took place at Eastern Michigan University’s Lake House in University Park at 11:30 am.
Delta Sigma Phi held the event to help raise somewhere between $500 and $1,000 for the Red Cross.
Chapter Vice President Brennan Callahan and philanthropy chair James Repo were responsible for getting the event up and running.
“The Red Cross is our national philanthropy partner,” said Repo.
“This is our first event so we thought we would help out our partners and raise money to help benefit them.”
The event was designed to be a fun and cold was to raise money, and the brothers and firefighters seemed to really get into it.
One man jumped with a Santa hat on, and the firemen could be heard making joking with each other as they assisted with the event.
“This was our first big event and it was all Delta Sigma Phi brothers who did the jumping,” said junior Nick Downs.
“We all jumped into the lake for a good cause and we want to establish ourselves on campus.”
One of the brothers strutted down to the water wearing a Halloween mask with the fraternity letters pained on his chest.
“We are doing this for the Red Cross,” explained President Sean Salminen. “It is not just us jumping into the water because we feel like it.”
“Our brotherhood is about social excellence in building better men.”
Around 23 Delta Sigma Phi brothers jumped into the frozen pond.
However, before the event could actually take place, the proper precautions had to be made.
“We had to talk to a few important people before we could do this,” said Sergeant at Arms Garin Khran.
“The person who runs University Park had to be contacted and asked. Plus DPS and our local fire department.”
Fire department personnel made it a safe and secure plunge for the fraternity boys.
All of the jumpers were required to wear a life jacket which was tied to a rope.
The firefighters used the event as practice for saving people who fall through the ice.
“It was really funny watching them dive in to the water,” said freshman observer Kaitlyn Brang.
“The Red Cross is always short for cash so I think this event was a great idea.”
