Over the past week, many events have taken place, celebrating people who’ve made a mark in Beaufort County. Some are historic preservationists; others are outstanding members of the business community. Still others are those whose love for the old alma mater makes for the strongest N.C. State University alumni networks in the country. Then there are the many volunteers of the Beaufort County Arts Council who put in countless hours to create a signature event this weekend in downtown Washington.

But nowhere did volunteers make as big a splash as they did in the river on Saturday afternoon — a big, chilly, literal splash, at that — as members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington took a plunge in the river to raise money for Stop Hunger Now, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing a worldwide problem. Those who jumped in the river were young and old; they came from all backgrounds. They raised over twice the amount of money expected, because it was a new kind of fundraiser. It was different, and it was fun.

But it was said later that night that several of the people who participated in the Polar Challenge actually did not know how to swim. The water wasn’t terribly deep there off the dock — it wasn’t overhead — but jumping into the river meant being underwater for at least a second or two. So jumping in, jumping into the unknown, was quite a risk for a few folks.

Strong belief will do that to a person: make him or her face down fears in order to be a part of something larger. Belief in a cause is the great motivator — whether that cause is paving the way for the restoration of an historic building, helping to build and promote the local economy or creating a night to remember for arts supporters in the community.

There are many who don’t take that step, though they could. Perhaps lack of time, money or ideas as to what talent they could contribute hold them back. But as seen on Saturday afternoon, sometimes it’s best to just take a deep breath and jump on in, make a big splash and become a part of something bigger.

There’s always room for volunteers.