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Grand Valley Lions Polar Bear Dip back on this year

December 1, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Who doesn’t enjoy a refreshing dip into ice-cold water in freezing temperatures through a hole chopped in the ice on a local river?

If a sudden shock to your system followed by a mad scramble to find a towel and a warm place sounds like fun, a New Year’s Day swim in the Grand River just might be a great way to start the new year.

The Grand Valley Lions Club is once again hosting their New Year’s Day Polar Bear Dip, after having to take a couple of years off from this popular event.

The event always brings a good number of swimmers, as well as quite a few others who prefer to stay on shore and watch as swimmers take the plunge.

While some people rocket out of the water as fast as they get in, surprisingly there are always a couple of swimmers who seem to adapt to the freezing water quite well and spend several minutes enjoying a mid-winter swim surrounded by ice.

This is a Lions Club fundraising event with all proceeds going to the Grand Valley Food Bank. Spectators are asked to bring a donation for the Food Bank when they attend.

All swimmers must sign a waiver when they arrive. A minimum pledge of $10 is required.

New this year, the dipper with the highest dollar value in pledges will receive a $100 gift card from Mill Creek Pub.

The Polar Bear Dip will take place at Stuckey Park, on Mill Street East in Grand Valley on January 1.

Registration starts at 12:00 p.m., followed by the plunge into the river at 1:00 p.m.

Contact Lions Club member, Randy, at 519-943-5471, or by e-mail at randymcc@rogers.com, for pledge sheets or waivers.

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