Southampton High School freshman Ryan Brown braved the Atlantic Ocean’s 45-degree waters to join 3,556 others in Saturday’s Polar Plunge in Virginia Beach.

Wearing his swimming trunks and a Woodstock T-shirt, “he went in head first and was soaking wet,” said his mother, Kim Brown of Black Creek.

Ryan raised $110 for Special Olympics and plans to participate next year. The 14-year-old would like to organize a team.

“He always wanted to do a Polar Plunge,” Kim said. “He wanted to do the real big one, but when we heard about this, he said he wanted to do it.”

Plungers raised a record $1.1 million this year.

 

• Franklin native Beth Drewery has been asked to compete as a dancer in the Pink Tie Gala at the Richmond Convention Center.

Beth, who was featured in the winter issue of Western Tidewater Living for participating in the Cure by Design Survivor Fashion Show in Richmond, understands the Gala is similar to the television show “Dancing with the Stars.”

She will have 12 weeks of dance lessons for the Oct. 20 benefit hosted by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

 

• Franklin native Latorial Faison, who earlier this week spoke to the youth at the Neighborhood Outreach Center, was recently featured in the Fort Lee Traveller newspaper and on the National Department of Defense website.

Latorial is a Fort Lee military wife, mother of three and educator who has researched a number of topics and offered them in the form of poetry.

The 38-year-old took up writing in grade school and studied English and religion at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, earning degrees from both. She is an instructor at Virginia State University.

Latorial grew up in Courtland and graduated from Southampton High School. She is the daughter-in-law of Carl and Lillie. Lillie is a former English teacher at Paul D. Camp Community College.

GWEN ALBERS is managing editor of The Tidewater News. Her email address is gwen.albers@tidewaternews.com.