Locals will be “brrr”-aving the cold so youth don’t have to.
Bonnyville residents Lorelei Gertz-Cummins and Tristan Ilko are organizing Bonnyville’s first polar bear dip, which they’ve coined Freezin’ for a Reason: Getting Cold so the Kids Don’t Have To, with the goal of collecting winter coats, snow pants, hats, and scarves to be distributed to youth in need.
“A polar bear dip is where we cut out a slab of ice from a frozen-over lake or body of water, and people jump in as a way to support a cause,” Ilko explained.
Participants will be leaping into below-freezing waters at Vezeau Beach on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Gertz-Cummins said the idea was born when “we were sitting on a boat one frosty fall day.”
“We were having a good time, and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we could do some type of event where people jump into the cold water and we could put the money towards something?’ It was just a casual conversation that turned into a pretty neat idea,” she exclaimed.
While they originally weren’t sure how they were going to give back, Ilko and Gertz-Cummins decided rounding up winter gear for area youth was a fitting cause.
“Being that we’re both teachers, we see kids without the proper attire all the time,” Gertz-Cummins stated. “Students that don’t have the proper attire, not only are they ill-equipped to deal with our weather, but it can also affect mental health. Without having the proper clothing, they can’t go out at recess, they’re segregated from their friends, or they might feel ashamed for something that’s been handed down several times and they don’t want people judging them.”
Ilko said, “Sometimes it causes fights and arguments. If we can remove that barrier and get kids outside, they can get some exercise, socialize, and enjoy winter because it’s something that we have a lot of here. There’s so many activities that these kids miss out on because they’re not prepared for the weather.”
Ilko and Gertz-Cummins are aiming to help as many people as they can with the polar bear dip.
“We’re kind of hoping to breeze across everyone because kids at various levels need support,” Ilko stated. “Just because we have some bigger kids doesn’t mean they should be left out, just because they’re a little bit older. We’re going to try to impact as many kids as possible, and hopefully, this year we kind of get enough of the ball rolling and can go from there.”
So far, there are 10 people signed up to take plunge.
Since it’s the first time Ilko and Gertz-Cummins are organizing the event, they’re hoping more people will get involved.
“Right now, it’s just the two of us,” Gertz-Cummins noted. “So people helping out with the event the day-of, and even just coordinating prizes if we want to offer them.”
Polar Bear Dips are held around the world for a number of different reasons. In Canada, the plunges are typically seen as a New Year’s Day tradition and has cities like Vancouver, BC seeing upwards of 2,000 people leaping into the freezing waters of the English Bay.
To find out how you can start fundraising, or become involved, text Gertz-Cummins at 780-668-5254 or Ilko at 780-554-4302.
