BIG NORTH B1
BIG NORTH FREE PRESS - DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2012
Big North
B Section
FREE PRESS
A lla n W ISHA RT/ Fre e Pre s s
Two of the approximately 30 people who participated in the Polar Bear Dip at Ness Lake Bible Camp earlier this year hit the water. The dip was postponed from New Year’s Day after a fire destroyed the gym at the camp.
■ NESS LAKE BIBLE CAMP
Getting ready for the Polar Bear Dip Pledge forms now available for annual New Year’s Day event It’s been less than a year since the last Polar Bear Dip at Ness Lake Bible Camp, but plans are already well underway to welcome 2013 in with the traditional splash. The event, which is a fundraiser for the camper sponsorship fund, normally runs on New Year’s Day. This year, however, the Polar Bear Dip
had to be postponed after a New Year’s Eve fire destroyed the gymnasium at the camp. The new gym was opened in July, and visitors to the Polar Bear Dip will be able to see how much has been accomplished in the past 12 months. The 2013 Polar Bear Dip sees brave souls, many in costume (there are prizes for best cos-
tume, you know), leap into the usually frigid waters of Ness Lake. Trained rescue personnel are close at hand in case of problems, but usually end up helping the dipper scramble out of the water as quickly as possible. The entry fee is $20, but anyone raising more than $20 in pledges will have the fee
waived. Pre-registration is encouraged, with a free Polar Bear Dip T-shirt for the first 50 participants. More information and pledge forms are available online at www.nlbc.bc.ca. On Jan. 1, check-in will be held at the Welcome Centre at 2 p.m. There will then be a short meeting in the gym at 2:30 to judge costumes,
before the participants make their way down to the lake and hit the water. Spectators are more than welcome to come out, and there is hot chocolate and cinnamon buns provided. Last year’s event raised about $3,000, which is used to help families that would not otherwise be able to afford to send a child to the camp.