For the 22nd time, around 80 people who are just the right mix of crazy, brave, charitable, and insane lined up to take the Polar Bear Dip at Ness Lake Bible Camp (NLBC), raising just under $32,000 in the process.
Three members of Vista radio were among those people this year, myself included.
Shockingly, it was cold, and it was a lot less fun than the kids will have in that lake this summer.
All the money raised goes towards NLBC’s sponsorship fund that they use to bring as many kids out to camp every summer who otherwise could not afford to go.
This year’s two top fundraisers brought in over $11,000 and $7,000.
Many notable faces were at, or in the dip. Members of the Rocky Mountain Rangers took the plunge, and barely made a face while doing so.
The Ness Lake volunteer fire department was present, making sure everything ran smoothly.
Multiple city councilors attended, and there was some international representation from as far as the Netherlands, UK, and Iran.
But it was mayor Simon Yu who really stole the show, for… obvious reasons.
Sky Gristwood, one of the dippers, came from Basingstoke, UK to take the plunge.
“I came here to spend Christmas with my friends, you have to do the Polar Bear Dip, it is just one of those things.”
Gristwood has flown to Prince George to spend Christmas with friends for a few years, and doing the dip at the camp has become one of her favorite North American traditions.
“You just have to psyche yourself up and just go, you feel amazing after, it is great… your legs turn blue but it is so great.”
She also encouraged more people to come out and give it a try next year.
People lined up along the lake, waiting for their turn to go in – shivering before, and really shivering after.
Nobody may have been cooler in the cold than 94.3 The Goat’s very own Ryan Mitchell, who didn’t even shudder until he was on the way back up to the warm gym.
Country 97 FM’s Tim Gavin might have been the other side of the cold tolerance coin, having a much different, and much louder experience than Ryan did.
You are still able to donate towards the Polar Bear Dip on NLBC’s website. They are only around $1000 off of matching last year’s donation total.
Here are a few more photos from the event:
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