Take the anti-frozen plunge at Y on New Year's Day

Instead of jumping into the freezing Bay on New Year’s Day, you can enjoy the heated 83-degree waters of the Kent County YMCA pool to satisfy your yearning to swim.

On Monday, January 1, the Y will be opening their doors from noon to 2 p.m. for their first annual New Year’s Day Pool Plunge.

The executive director of the Kent Y, Julie Casimiro, wants to provide an alternative to the freezing-cold plunge into the bay and “leave the frigid water to the penguins and polar bears!”

“We wanted to give people an opportunity to do something safe with the family on New Year’s,” Casimiro said. “[It] gives new people the opportunity to visit the Y and use our facilities.”

Non-members of the Y are welcome to their pool plunge and will be given a three-visit guest pass to test out the YMCA for free. New Year’s Day will count as the first of those three visits. The enrollment fee is also being eliminated during this time as part of the Kent Y’s new member acquisition strategy.

The pool will be open for the full two hours and the plunges will take place every 30 minutes starting at 12:30 p.m.