EASTHAMPTON — As All Out Adventures prepares to move back to the Paradise City in the new year, some notable locals are preparing for an icy plunge into a Goshen lake in support of the nonprofit that will feature Easthampton City Councilor Owen Zaret in an Aquaman costume.
“I’ll be a very out-of-shape Aquaman,” Zaret acknowledged.
Although he’s never done a plunge before, Zaret said he’s not nervous about it.
“Always happy to put myself physically at risk for a good cause,” he said.
All Out Adventures moved to Riverside Industries in Easthampton in September, after its Northampton landlord relocated his law office to the nonprofit’s previous headquarters at 214 State St. in Northampton.
Its new headquarters will be at 297 Pleasant St. in Northampton. Executive Director Karen Foster said the nonprofit, which provides outdoor recreation activities for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities, has signed a five-year-lease on the space.
“We are so grateful to Riverside Industries for the opportunity to be here,” Foster said. “It was the perfect place to land while we searched for a long-term space.”
The new space on Pleasant Street is wheelchair-accessible, near the bike path and next to Northampton Bicycle — all pluses, she said.
Before moving to Easthampton, All Out Adventures revealed it was experiencing financial difficulties. The Pioneer Valley, however, didn’t take this news passively.
“We’ve gotten so much support and help from the community,” said Foster, who expressed confidence things are going in the right direction for All Out Adventures.
The group is currently engaged in a fundraising effort, Plunge for Adventure, where staff members and local notables are attempting to raise $15,000. If they hit this number, they will all jump into the icy waters of the Upper Highland Lake at the DAR State Forest in Goshen on Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. The event will be broadcast by the nonprofit on Facebook Live.
Foster expressed confidence at being able to hit the goal.”We’re going to do a big push,” she said.
As of Thursday evening, $11,217 had been raised.
Last year, All Out Adventures did a plunge for the first time, with a fundraising goal of $7,500. About $8,000 was raised, and Foster and four other staff members dutifully jumped into Upper Highland Lake.
This year, Foster has been joined by 30 others who have pledged to jump in. Besides Zaret, they include Easthampton City Councilors Homar Gomez, Thomas Peake and Peg Conniff, along with incoming Northampton City Councilor Rachel Maiore; Miss Florence Diner owner Georgianna Brunton; state Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield; and Jamie Paquette, the senior renewable energy account manager at EnergeiaWorks.
Peake said he decided to participate in the plunge after learning his colleagues were doing it.
And although he hasn’t done a plunge per se, he did say he has “fallen through the ice into very cold water.”
The incident happened in Williamsburg, where he grew up, he said, when a field he discovered turned out to be a frozen-over swamp. He then proceeded to get electrocuted when he climbed over a fence, after which he was chased by a bull and got electrocuted again.
“It was one of the worst days,” Peake said. “This will be way different than that.”
Peake also said he thinks he’ll fare better in the plunge than most because he is “fat and Swedish.”
Space is still available for people to raise money and participate in the plunge themselves.
The Goshen Fire Department will cut a hole in the ice and be on hand with water rescue gear for the event. There will be tents with propane heaters in them and a cabin with a wood stove for people to warm up. Coffee, hot soup and hot chocolate will be provided by the Northampton Kiwanis Club.
Foster said the average fee that people pay to participate in All Out Adventures programs is $2, while the average cost to the nonprofit is more than $50 per person. As such, she said fundraisers like the plunge can help bridge this gap.
Some of the programs All Out Adventures will be running this winter will be a snowshoeing program for seniors, a snowshoeing and cross country skiing program for veterans, and a cross country skiing, snowshoeing, skating and sled skating program for people with disabilities.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.