Fundraiser will have people Freezin' for a Reason
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A group of Loyalist College students are asking residents to take the plunge while helping area youth at the same time.
Freezin’ for a Reason is a polar-bear-plunge type event which will see participants braving the frigid waters of the Bay of Quinte in an effort to raise money for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.
The event — which started as a school assignment for four public relations students — has been very successful, say organizers.
“We kind of brain-stormed back and forth and we came up with the fact that there had never been any sort of a polar bear plunge in Belleville, so we decided ‘let’s do it’,” said organizer Angela Best.
The group has already shattered their initial modest goal of $500 — gathering more than $3,000 in pledges with still half a week to go.
“We’re very excited about that,” said Best.
“It’s never been done here so we didn’t really have anything to go on. We were hoping to get the response that we got but by no means were we sure about it.”
Best, a parent, says supporting the YMCA is important to her.
“Personally, I have children so I think it’s important for all kids to have access to the programs that the YMCA supplies so I was happy to give back to that cause.”
A cause fellow organizer, Rob Alexander, agrees with.
“The idea was a little bit crazy, a little bit out there but I think, really, it would take some courage and strength from members in the community to be a part of and so we thought ‘What’s a good cause that sort of aligns with that strength...?’ and we just figured the YMCA was a well-known organization that people would feel good about supporting,” said Alexander. “The programs they offer do a lot for children in the community and support the mission for all kids to have access to activities and a healthy lifestyle and so it just made sense to us.”
The event takes place this Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. at the Herchimer Avenue boat launch in Belleville.
For fundraising, the group is using a tiered approach.
All participants pay a fee of $25 — which is waived if that participant gets more than $25 pledged. At $25 a participant will have to go up to their knees in the water, up to their waist at $50, up to their shoulders at $75 and at $100 they’ll need to take the full plunge.
So far there are more than 30 participants registered.
Supervisor of membership sales and service of the Belleville YMCA Branch, Jennifer McTavish has been really appreciative of the groups efforts on the YMCA’s behalf.
“We’re just thrilled by their energy and this idea. It’s unique in the region,” said McTavish.
“A campaign such as this, coming from an outside organization and working on our behalf is a great opportunity for us to work together, not only to get to know each other better and increase awareness, but to drive a fundraiser for this.”
tjmiller@postmedia.com