REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - A busy Saturday in Rehoboth Beach despite the cancellation of some of the Polar Plunge's biggest events.
Despite cancellations of some of the Polar Plunge events, Rehoboth Beach saw a large gathering on Saturday as community members enjoyed Fire & Ice Festivities and a Chili Contest.
At the Atlantic Sands Hotel, where the Fire & Ice event is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m., people from all over came by to enjoy vendor-provided chicken wings and ice cream.
Alex Seymore with Special Olympics Delaware says, despite the cancellations, nearly 900 people, or polar bears for this weekend, checked in on Friday.
"We still have over a million dollars that's been raised," Seymore tells CoastTV. "That's what it's all about. It's for our athletes, to celebrate our athletes, to raise money for our athletes. So they can compete in sports completely free of charge year-round."
Dan Green from Bear says he comes to the Polar Plunge every year.
"Down here is obviously seasonal. This is the boost that they need to get through," says Green. "A lot of us still came down to support the community."
However, the events in Rehoboth Beach were not just limited to eating chicken wings and ice cream at the Atlantic Sands Hotel; a city-wide event took place from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
Across Rehoboth Beach, 15 restaurants participated in a Chili Contest. One of those was Downtown Bethany Blues.
Rory Baldini, General Manager of Downtown Bethany Blues, says that this offseason boost for businesses is crucial.
"The change in the offseason here has been dramatic," Baldini exclaims. "Obviously bummed the Polar Plunges aren't happening, and the 5k didn't happen today. People are still in town, parking spots are hard to find. We're still jamming."
Despite the cancellations of some of Rehoboth Beach's largest events, the support for Special Olympics Delaware made waves in the coastal city.Â