Drowned Hogs Take Dip in Mon for Charity

By Rick Wills

It was certainly not a slow summer dip in the river.

“It’s not the worst swim I’ve been to,” said shivering Andrew Marino, 25, of Mt. Lebanon as he poured hot water onto himself after a swim in the Monongahela River on Saturday at the South Side’s Riverfront Park. “This hot water is so nice.”

About 30 people calling themselves the Pittsburgh Drowned Hogs braved a 28-degree morning and 32-degree water to raise money for Circle C Family & Youth Services of Green Tree.

Yesterday’s Groundhog Day swim raised money for Circle C, a nonprofit organization that works with at-risk children. Swimmers get sponsors for the event, which raised more than $10,000 in its first two years, said Rich Knoult, Circle C’s executive director.

“This has worked well. The weather can be much colder at this time of year, so we are lucky today,” Knoult said.

Some bathers seemed unfazed by the brisk water.

Nancy Spang, 43, of Brookline did not know what to expect.

“This is my first time. It was OK because it was so fast,” she said.

The event was started by Al Bollinger, 58, of Mt. Lebanon. A Pittsburgh native who lived in Boston for 30 years, Bollinger organized a Feb. 2 swim on a beach south of Boston 13 years ago. The consensus of the swimmers was that winter will linger six more weeks.

“We think we are a more accurate predictor than a groundhog,” Bollinger said.

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