Brave Crowd Rings In the New Year with Annual Cave Spring Polar Plunge

T.L. Sullivan | The Weekly Ledger News | Area Community News

CAVE SPRING, Ga. — A chilly New Year’s morning set the perfect scene for the annual Cave Spring Polar Plunge, a tradition that has now been going strong for well over a decade.

The event, held at Rolater Park, once again drew residents and visitors willing to take a quick icy dip to welcome the new year — all while supporting a meaningful local cause.

The Polar Plunge was originally the idea of the late Mike Ragland, whose vision helped create one of Cave Spring’s most beloved New Year’s Day traditions.

“The late Mike Ragland came up with the idea, and I told him he was crazy when he said it,” said Billy Wayne Abernathy with the Cave Spring Historical Society. “But Mike Ragland helped start it and get it established, and we have kept it going over the years.”

Following the plunge, participants and supporters gathered for a traditional New Year’s Day meal featuring baked ham, collard greens, and black-eyed peas — dishes long associated with good luck and prosperity in the year ahead.

Those who braved the cold water also received commemorative Polar Plunge t-shirts.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Cave Spring Historical Society and are used to help maintain the historic structures and facilities in the park, ensuring the preservation of the community’s heritage for future generations.

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