January 2010

A Record Turnout Leads to National Coverage

Polar Bears = 271  Air Temp = 19  F  Water Temp. = 33  F

Wow!  What a day at the beach!  Cold, windy weather didn't stop the Polar Bears from coming out and taking the Plunge.  And it didn't stop The Weather Channel from joining us for a refreshing swim.  At 19   F and windy, this year's weather was the exact opposite of last year's.  A frozen lake required volunteers to chop up the ice and push it aside.  Paths had to be cut through the frozen surf from the beach to the shoreline.  These were REAL polar bear conditions.  Yet we had 271 polar bears jump in the lake, a new record, and many more spectators cheering us on.  To top it all off, The Weather Channel's anchor Mike Bettes and producer Ted Winner jumped in right along side of us - watch the video.  The Huffington Post was also reporting from the event and provided further national exposure to help spread the word about the great things we all are doing.  We hope you all had as much fun this year as we did.  We want to continue growing this event and making it better;  therefore, we hope to see you all back again next year - and bring a friend.

Fundraising Report:
To date we have raised an amazing $15,007 to help two local families in need - the Pond and Jones families.  We are assisting great families we truly appreciate everyone's help and support.  With your help the Pond's are now able to afford many of the bills associated with daily life as they continue to deal with the liver transplant and numerous heart surgeries that have affected Nathan (age 8) and Madelyn (age 1).  Your support also provides Nate Jones with a scholarship to complete his high school education.  It is a wonderful feeling knowing that our friends, families and community can rally around a cause to make a difference.  Everyone needs to understand that together we are making a significant difference in the lives of real families.