It started, as so many good stories do around here… with a laugh.
Back in 1992, on the morning airwaves of WVIN/WABH Radio, Dave Taylor Smith and his co-host were doing what radio hosts do best—bantering. Spring break was on everyone’s mind, and it seemed like the whole world was headed to Myrtle Beach.
“Well,” they joked, “we can go to… Tyrtle Beach!”
And just like that, a name was born—somewhere between a chuckle and a spark of something more.
“Where’s that?”
“Oh… down by Lake Salubria.”
A joke. A moment. A throwaway line.
Until someone listening decided it didn’t have to be.
π
A Jump That Changed Everything
Local businessman Frank Lugiano heard the segment and made a simple offer:
He’d sponsor the event…if Dave would jump into the lake.
Now, Lake Salubria in early spring isn’t exactly welcoming. We’re talking cold that bites, water that takes your breath away, the kind that makes you question every life choice leading up to that moment.
Dave agreed—but only if the community would rally behind it… and only if the money raised would go to benefit kids.
That first year?
$1,572 raised.
Sixteen youth organizations supported.
And just like that… Tyrtle Beach was no longer a joke.
βοΈ
Seven Years of Courage… and a Community Rising
The following year, Dave jumped again.
And the year after that.
Seven years in a row, he stepped into those icy waters—each time with more people watching, more people giving, more hearts invested.
By year two, the total had climbed to over $5,000.
But eventually, even the strongest traditions need to evolve. Doctors suggested it was time for Dave to pass the torch. And in 1998, Walt Delap became the first in a long line of “celebrity jumpers.”
Not celebrities in the Hollywood sense…
but in the way small towns define it:
Leaders. Neighbors. Familiar faces.
People who say “yes” when it matters.
π’ More Than a Jump
Over the years, Tyrtle Beach has become something bigger than anyone imagined that morning in 1992.
More than $880,000 raised.
Dozens of jumpers.
Generations of kids supported.
And perhaps the most beautiful part?
Some of the children who once benefited from those early donations…
are now the adults stepping forward, raising funds for the next generation.
That’s the kind of full-circle story you can only find in places like this.
π
The Tradition Lives On — 35 Years Strong
The 35th Annual Tyrtle Beach Fundraiser is officially underway… and the spirit of that first jump is alive and well.
π
Jump Day: April 24th
π Lake Salubria, Bath, New York
This year’s courageous jumpers include:
π’ Matthew Pfleegor – Avoca School Superintendent
π’ Kelly Houck – Bath School District Superintendent
π’ Jason Rosno – Campbell-Savona School District Superintendent
π’ Brian Corey – Hammondsport School District Superintendent
π’ Kory Bay – Prattsburgh School Superintendent
Each one stepping forward… not knowing if the water will
be in the 30s or the 60s…
and after the winter we’ve had… well… it just might be flirting with the 20s.
But knowing exactly why they’re doing it.
π» A Community That Gives What It Can
There’s no set fundraising goal.
There never has been.
Because from the very beginning, Tyrtle Beach has trusted in something far more powerful:
A community that shows up.
A community that gives what it can.
A community that believes in its kids.
You can follow along, hear interviews, and catch updates on the WVIN Morning Show… or make a donation anytime at TyrtleBeach.com.
And if you’ve never been?
Maybe this is your year.
To stand along the shoreline.
To cheer a little louder.
To feel that unmistakable mix of laughter, courage, and heart that started it all.
πΏ A Keuka Roots Thought
Sometimes the biggest traditions don’t begin with a plan…
they begin with a moment.
A joke on the radio.
A challenge accepted.
A community that leaned in instead of letting it pass by.
And now, every April, along the shores of Lake Salubria…
that moment lives on—in every splash, every cheer, every dollar raised for a child who needs it.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.
StayTrytle Beach!ππ’
