The 15th Annual Burlington Penguin Plunge was an enormous success: more than 1,000 people participated in the Plunge to raise $325,239 for the 850-plus athletes of Special Olympics Vermont. It was the final plunge for Marc Lewis of Shelburne, who hung up his penguin gear after this year’s event, but not before raising $15,276, his highest dollar amount of donations. Lewis has been the event’s top fundraiser for the past five years; prior to this year, his "best year" yielded $13,850 in donations for his efforts.

"But I’m turning 50 this year," explained Lewis as he announced his retirement from an event that has garnered his whole-hearted support for more than a decade. His final plunge took place on Saturday, Feb. 6, with temperatures hovering near 15 degrees for much of the morning. At 11 a.m., when the first group took its running leap into the water, the water was 34 degrees and with a light 15 mph wind from the NW, the temperature felt closer to zero.

"We can’t thank Marc Lewis enough for his years of dedication and service to the 850 athletes we serve throughout the state. His generous contributions to the organization and Penguin Plunge will never be forgotten," said Kimberly Bookless, Special Olympics fundraising events manager. "While we are sad to see Marc go; we wish him the best in all of his future endeavors!"