Around a dozen Lloydminster residents braved icy cold water in support of Border City Connects.
The organization held its annual Polar Bear Splash on December and raised over $30,000. Proceeds from the fundraiser went towards the operational costs for the non-profit which provides rides for residents with mobility issues.
Director Glenn Fagnan says the event was successful and continues to be a good time for everyone involved.
“We were all very impressed and had a lot of fun. We had good sports like the mayor and numerous other folks. It was great to see and it goes a long way for Border City Connects with our day-to-day operations.”
A new incentive was brought this year where participants who raised $500 had a chance to win $10,000 in a draw. However, no one won the draw.
“Everybody that participated raised the minimum amount so they all had a shot at it. It’s all the luck of the dice and no one was successful on that.”
He says next year they plan to start advertising earlier to get more participants for the event.
“It doesn’t seem like there is a whole pile of people that are enthusiastic about jumping into a cold tank of water in December. So it is going to take a little bit of coaxing and letting them know we have the hot tub that they can jump into afterwards.”
Border City Connects recently bought a new van for their services which can now be paid off through the money raised from the fundraiser.