Rick Grimaldi couldn’t get over what a difference a year made for the Connellsville Polar Bear Plunge, held annually on New Year’s Day in Yough River Park.

“This is more like spring break compared to 2018, when it was about 4 degrees and they had to cut a hole in the ice in the river so we could get in,” Grimaldi, 72, of Connellsville, said Tuesday as he stood on the shore of the Youghiogheny River with his 15-year-old godson Logan Johnson awaiting the countdown to enter the water.

It was a balmy 44 degrees as the estimated 600 participants gathered on the riverbank. The Yough was still cold — about 41 degrees, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

“This event is a good thing. It’s a great way to start the New Year, and it brings the community together, too,” added Johnson, a freshman at Geibel High School.

One of the founders of the event, Frank Jacobyansky, said Tuesday’s plunge was the 15th annual river dash that he said was started “on a whim.”

“This one could be the largest ever,” Jacobyansky said.

Jacobyansky admitted the warmer temperature was the reason the crowd swelled from about 250 in 2018.

Ann Nicholson of Connellsville spent about six seconds in the river before running out to the welcoming warmth of a nearby bonfire.

“This year was cold. Last year, it was painful,” Nicholson said as she wrapped herself in a towel.

Her friend, Shirley Rosenberger, also of Connellsville and a two-year veteran of the event, did question all participants’ sanity.

“Sure it’s absurd and insane, but it is a good thing. It’s a community event that brings everyone together,” Rosenberger said.

“Last year, it was definitely painful and that pain lingered for a few days afterward. But this is a good cause bringing perishables to support the Connellsville Area Community Ministries Food Bank,” she said.

John P. Zimcosky, of nearby Smock, wanted to catch his longtime girlfriend, Audrey Sweeney, by surprise. So when they ran out of the river, he instructed a buddy to grab a camera as he kneeled on one knee and proposed. Sweeney, of Parkersburg, W.Va., accepted through chattering teeth.

“I knew I needed some way to catch her off guard, and I couldn’t do that if I took her out to a fancy dinner. We’ve done this for years, and we enjoy it,” Zimcosky said.

Phillip Luczka, 62, of Connellsville, and his son, Jonathan, have participated in all 15 plunges. He said Tuesday’s was “among the warmest.”

“It’s a way to get the entire family together,” Luczka said.

The younger Luczka said he’ll be back in 2020 — but not without reservations.

“I start to get nervous about it about two weeks before the event,” Jonathan said. “It’s definitely really cold jumping into that cold water.”

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.

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