There’s no way to ring in the New Year like throwing yourself into a frigid lake! At least that’s what Trent and Todd Courage seem to think.
Every year I have the honour of being the official Courage Polar Bear Dip photographer, and I have to say…this was the coldest year that I can remember in my 9 years of being a part of this crazy event, with temperatures reaching -18c with the windchill. But braving the cold for this one morning is nothing compared to what we achieve in return. This charity dip is the largest in Canada with around 700 dippers, and the money raised (appx $140,000 this year!) goes to build clean water systems for villages in Rwanda. Water for water, that’s the goal.
Our dippers are true champs braving the cold for the whole afternoon. It’s not just a quick dip and then back to your cozy fireplace! There are fun things going on during the afternoon like awesome music from the band Whaling, snacks and hot chocolate, a costume contest…and zombies!
A huge thanks to everyone who participated…and now that I’m thoroughly defrosted, I can genuinely say that I can’t wait to do it again next year!
~Tami
