Heather Latter
Despite the above-average temperatures and lack of ice, the Voyageur Lions Club still is moving ahead with plans for its annual “Polar Plunge.”
“We’re just worried right now about the lack of ice,” conceded club member Bill Michl, who also is governor of Lions International District 5M-10.
In fact, for the first time ever, the club may have to make alternate arrangements for the event, which features brave souls jumping into the frigid waters of Sand Bay through a hole in the ice each New Year’s Day.
“I’m thinking if it’s not safe enough to go out on by Jan. 1, maybe we’ll have to build a tank of some kind and pump the water into it and have it on shore,” Michl suggested.
He mused that perhaps they could pump the water from the lake so it’s just as cold as if they jumped through the ice.
“I think there’s going to be more ice than what we can run in off shore by then, but not enough to walk on,” Michl noted.
“And we wouldn’t be able to get a hole near enough to the dock to make it safe enough to jump from.”
As such, organizers are waiting to see what the weather does and will make some more conclusive decisions by the end of this week.
“But plans are all a go,” Michl stressed, noting the “Polar Plunge” still will take place with or without ice.
“We have a lot of pledge sheets out to a lot of people,” he said, adding he’s hopeful all those who took pledge sheets will turn out to participate in the annual event.
The local club always has asked that participants from groups or organizations call ahead to indicate how many jumpers they’ll be expecting so organizers can get an idea of numbers.
“But most of the time, it’s the day of,” he remarked.
“We’re just going blind and all of a sudden, we have anywhere from 25-65 participants.”
Michl also said it’s not too late for anyone to start collecting pledges to take an icy dip on Jan. 1.
In fact, quite a few people show up the day of the “Plunge” with money in hand—sometimes as a result of a New Year’s Eve bet.
Jumpers can take the plunge on their own or as a representative of a local group or organization.
Michl said people have to have collected at least $50 to jump.
Participating groups receive half of the net proceeds raised by jumpers while those interested in doing so as individuals raise funds for the Voyageur Lions.
“You have to jump for a non-profit or registered charity group and whatever you raise, we give half of that to your charity of choice,” Michl explained.
“The other half goes to our Lions’ projects, locally and district-wide, whatever we support,” he added.
Michl said he really hopes people come out to take part.
“It’s a good way for people in the area to raise money for their charity because they don’t have to do any of the work—they just have to go out and get pledges and we will arrange everything else,” he noted.
“There are so many charities out there that we can’t, as a Lions club, support every one of them, so this is a way to give a little bit to every local charity,” he reasoned.
“So it works for us that way.”
Michl said many local organizations have taken part in the “Polar Plunge” each year, but people also have jumped for other causes, both nationally and internationally.
“The money goes to a lot of different places,” he enthused.
He added it’s also a unique thing to experience—jumping into the icy waters.
“The days of knocking on doors is done with so you have to come up with something different,” he remarked, noting people seem to like the “Polar Plunge” event.
“It is generally one of our biggest fundraisers.”
Michl said the funds raised has varied over the years, raising as little as $4,500 but as much as $16,000.
Last year was one of the more successful ones, with 44 jumpers grossing $16,394 in pledges.
Michl is hoping for another great event, but part of that will hinge on Mother Nature over the next two weeks.
“We’re just more or less waiting on the weather,” he noted, adding more details will be announced soon.
For more information, contact Michl at 276-1334.
