While most of us are sleeping in on Saturday, Kelsey Boer will plunge into the icy waters of the Chesapeake.

Kelsey, 21 and an Overlea resident, is a participant in the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. The annual event, held at Sandy Point State Park, raises money for Special Olympics Maryland.  

Boer took her first plunge after some friends participated two years ago.

"This really hits home for me," said Boer, whose father is a state trooper and her uncle has Downs Syndrome.

Using e-mail and Facebook, Kelsey raised around $225 for the charity from family and friends and even "friends of friends, who I don't even know," said Boer, an Eastern Tech grad who now studies at York College of Pennsylvania.

This year, Boer has set a goal for herself.

"I'm going to try and go all the way under (the water) — I know you really only have to get your feet wet — but it's about dedication, I want that full plunge experience," she said.

According to Kelley Schniedwind, one of the organizers of the event , Kelsey's story is not uncommon in the Parkville-Overlea area.

In an email to Patch, Schniedwind said: "Each year I analyze where Plungers come from, and I know for a fact that Parkville/Overlea is one of those 'hot spots' for us."

The Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge started in 1997, when just 350 participants raised $75,000 for Special Olympics Maryland.  Since then, more than 55,000 people have jumped into the bay in the middle of winter and raised over 16 million dollars for the organization.

Hamilton Federal Savings Bank raised over 6,000 dollars for the charity through their plunge team called Hammy's Heroes — named after the bank's porcine mascot.

The event was suggested to bank management by Parkville resident and bank employee Gina Schab.

"I said that if they picked my idea, I'd dress up in the Hammy costume —that's the bank's mascot — and personally take the plunge," she said.

Schab, 28, had been involved with the Polar Bear Plunge in previous years but had never taken the icy dip herself. Today she will don a pink, anthropomorphic pig costume for the plunge.

Then, "Hammy", wearing a bikini made of money-themed fabric and coins, and the rest team will go for a chilly swim today at 3 p.m.

Karen Zoda, 27, is another first-time plunger from the Overlea area.

"My family thinks I'm crazy for doing this, jumping in that water.  My dad is actually coming down from New York to take pictures and cheer me on."

Unlike first-timers Kelsey and Karen, Brenda Cook, 52, has been involved in the plunge for almost a decade as a part of Team Ravens Nest.  This year, Brenda and husband, Dale, will take the plunge in honor of 3-year-old Amara Coughlin, a neighbor who has Downs Syndrome. 

"It's really not as bad as you think," she said of jumping into the water. "Getting back out is usually worse than getting in." 

Rick Bowlus, 63,  is a member of Ravens Nest 33 — a fan group that meets at Raven Inn in Loch Raven. He is also a super plunger — so named because he raised $10,000 for the charity and will jump into the bay once every hour for 24 hours.

"The adrenaline and camaraderie down here really keep you going," said Bowlus, during a phone interview between plunges Friday night.

"After I dedicate myself to the cause all year, this is like our New Year's party," said Bowlus, a Havre de Grace resident who raised money for the charity through a number events over the last year.

"Seeing the smiles and accomplishments of the athletes  makes it worth it," he said.