The Plunge and Plunge Challenge

The Plunge: Saturday, February 12, 2022

Lake Junaluska Aquatics Center (77 Memory Lane, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745). 

Festivities start at 11:30 AM; on-site registration/check-in starts at 10:00 AM. Walk-ins welcome!

The Plunge Challenge: Anywhere & Anytime. 

On Saturday, February 12, 2022, Haywood Waterways Association and Lake Junaluska Assembly are hosting the "10th Annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education"

The Plunge is our biggest and most important fundraiser of the year. We are seeking only the bravest individuals to raise funds for our premier education event, Kids in the Creek, which teachers call “extremely valuable for teaching about water quality”. Though students refer to it as “cool”, our surveys demonstrate that Kids in the Creek is also a very effective tool for increasing knowledge about water and bringing out environmentally-responsible behaviors. 

Funds will also support Haywood Waterways' many other community education activities that raise awareness of clean water and its values for wildlife, recreation, the economy, and human health and well-being. Visit here for more details on all our education programs.

The depth of a plunge is a personal choice, from a dip of the toe to full immersion jump off the side of the pool, it doesn’t matter, except maybe to your peers.

Due to COVID-19, we are also offering THE PLUNGE CHALLENGE, where participants can pick the date, time and location of their convenience. 

The cost is $25 or FREE by raising sponsorships ($10 for under age 18), or better yet, join as a Team Fundraiser. Raise sponsorships by recruiting your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else you can think of to support you or your team ($1, $5, $25, everything counts) and have a chance for one of the top fundraiser prizes. Peer to Peer fundraising is the best way to raise the most funds! All donations are tax deductible.

Costumes welcome and prizes awarded for best costumes and top individual and team fundraisers. If you take the Plunge Challenge, make a short video and post it to our Facebook page by February 11 to be eligible for Best Costume, Best Plunge, and Most Plungers awards.

All ages welcome and all Plungers receive a FREE t-shirt to commemorate their bravery.

Since it is a winter Plunge, the event will happen rain or shine!

Under age 18 will need parent’s permission (parents are going to have to sign the liability waiver anyway). The waiver form is available here. 

Shorts are required, costumes are encouraged, having fun is mandatory!

Ways to Register or Donate

1. Individual Plunger and want to raise more: click "Fundraise" in the upper right of this page, then "Individual Fundraising" to complete the form. Your personal page will appear at the bottom of this page. Click on your name, then click "Donate" and complete the form to pay your registration fee, or use your new personal link to share and raise sponsors. Any cash or checks received can be brought the day of the event or contact HWA staff to arrange delivery; let us know how much before February 12 and we can track it for the Top Fundraiser awards. 

2. Form a Team Plunge: Register the team by clicking "Fundraise" in the upper right of this page, then "Create Team" to complete the form. Your team's page will appear at the bottom of this page. Each team member will them click on the team and complete the form to pay the registration fee, or use the team's personal link to share and raise sponsors. Any cash or checks received can be brought the day of the event or contact HWA staff to arrange delivery; let us know how much before February 12 and we can track it for the Top Fundraiser awards. 

3. Individual Plunger but only want to pay the registration: Click "HWA Team" in the list below, then "Donate" and complete the form. Your name will appear in our registration list. Or simply walk-in the day of the event.

4. Not Plunging but still want to support: Click "Donate" in the upper right of this page, then "To the General Campaign" and complete the form.

5. Support a Plunger or Team Plunge: click their personal page below, then click "Donate" and complete the form. 

6. You can also do all these off-line. Contact Haywood Waterways for details (info@haywoodwaterways.org, 828-476-4667), or visit here for a paper copy of the "Sponsorship, Donation, and Registration Packet". 

Questions: CONTACT US at 828-476-4667, info@haywoodwaterways.org 

Haywood Waterways Association is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law (Tax ID: 56-2108874). Financial information and a copy of our license is available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-807-2214; the license is not an endorsement by the State.

Photo credits: Fred Alexander, Bill Killalay, Marc Lehman. Logo design by Aaron Mabry.