"The first word to describe it is 'breathtaking.' It literally took my breath away. I couldn't even scream."
Pagosa Springs Visitor Center coordinator Patricia Schoffner stood smiling behind her desk in the Chamber of Commerce office, a stone's throw from the spot where she and a dozen other volunteers jumped into the frozen San Juan River — temperate 34 degrees — to experience something shocking on their way to raise pledged money for their favorite non-profit organizations. Continued...
Penguin plunge victim ... er, volunteer ... Patricia Schoffner tries to catch her breath after diving into 34 degree water in the San Juan River. Photo courtesy Pagosa Chamber of Commerce. All other photos by Jeff Laydon. |
The new WinterFest event, the Penguin Plunge, raised about $3,000 for the various non-profits. Patricia had come up with the idea for the event. Continued...
"We were sitting around brainstorming WinterFest one day, and I said, 'This makes me think of the Polar Plunge up in Chesapeake Bay. So let's jump into a lake or a river and raise money for the non-profits.' Little did I know they'd go for the idea. And for a first year event — you know, $3,000 for the community and it was a lot of fun."
Schoffner herself plunged for the Archuleta County Victims Assistance Program. Continued...
You can view more WinterFest photos — and purchase prints, if you wish — at the Pagosa Photography "Collages" website. |