MIFFLINBURG -- Here's something you wouldn't want to see right before going for a swim: ice fishermen.
But the sight of a tiny fishing hut resting on the frozen surface of Halfway Lake wasn't enough to stop several people from diving into the near-freezing waters at Halfway Dam on New Year's Day.
Lest you think they were insane, it was for a good cause.
Tuesday marked the fifth annual Polar Bear Ride and Plunge, held to benefit the Blue Butterfly Fund. Approximately 20-25 people rode the 13 miles from Mifflinburg to Raymond B. Winter State Park.
Elizabeth Sterling, founder of the fund -- which provides money to families of children with cancer -- said the ride was tradition for a group of bicyclists for several years before it became a fundraising event.
Mrs. Sterling was a competitive cyclist herself before her son, Bennett, was born in 2002. The boy developed brain cancer shortly after he was born and, despite numerous treatments, died in November 2003.
His parents, Mrs. Sterling and her husband, John, formed the Blue Butterfly Fund as a way to help families in similar situations with the ancillary costs associated with caring for an ill child.
Mrs. Sterling used to take part in the ride, but found the task of organizing and participating in it to be too difficult.
"These are truly the brave souls that came out today," she said, standing by the dam along Route 192 as the chilly winter air blew around her and the rest of the small crowd that had gathered to cheer on the riders.
Prior to anyone plunging, Mr. Sterling took the temperature of the water: 34 degrees, barely high enough to keep the water from becoming ice.
Not everyone braved the water, but those who did found it a rewarding experience.
Some of them did, anyway.
"It feels good now," Jason Rippon, of Lewisburg, said after he dove headfirst into the water.
Wearing only a pair of swimming trunks and sandals, with a towel wrapped loosely around his shoulders, Mr. Rippon said the plunge was the easiest part of his day.
"(Riding up) the hill was harder than the plunge," he said. "You don't get that hyperventilating shock you think you'd get. I think because you're revved up from the ride.
"It's a good way to start the New Year."
Not everyone shared his enthusiasm. "Oh my God, it's cold," one soaking wet man exclaimed as he walked by Mr. Rippon.
A $20 minimum donation was required to participate, and riders were encouraged to find people to pledge money on their behalf.
Though the numbers were down somewhat from previous years -- due in part, Mrs. Sterling thought, to the weather and less than ideal road conditions -- they were still able to raise about $1,700.
That was much more than she expected, she said.
"It's really good, given the number of riders we had," she said.
The Sterlings have raised more than $100,000 though the Blue Butterfly Fund since it was created in 2004. More than 90 percent of the money goes directly to families in need.
"It makes me feel really good that people still remember (Bennett)," Mrs. Sterling said. "His life did have a purpose."
n E-mail comments to rscott@dailyitem.com.
News
Related Photos
Discussion
Cold water, warm hearts
Participants raise money for Blue Butterfly Fund
- News
-
-
Buyer: Pine Meadow must be vacated
With only five days to go before a federal public housing contract runs out, Ramon Margary occupies one of two of 100 apartments yet to be vacated at Pine Meadow.
-
Care home's $68G fine in limbo
A hearing was canceled Friday to determine if the president of a corporation, that was convicted of stealing money from a resident of a Selinsgrove personal care home, is liable to pay its $68,000 fine.
-
Group offers weapons against cyber crime
With increased budget pressures forcing more police departments to consider placing every available officer on patrol as much as possible, a nonprofit organization is providing funding to make the case that it makes sense to continue efforts to try to identify sexual predators online.
-
Ex-chief clerk fights to keep lawsuit alive
Kymberley Best, the fired Northumberland County chief clerk, is willing to dismiss one count of her federal lawsuit but opposes a defense motion to dismiss the entire case.
-
Judge sets May trial date for Sandusky abuse case
BELLEFONTE — A judge said today he would decide soon whether to grant former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky greater freedom — and visits from his young grandchildren — while he awaits trial on child sex-abuse charges, but prosecutors countered that Sandusky's home is not a safe place for children.
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
LEWISBURG -- Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts. Lewisburg's proposed 2012-13 budget stands at $28.6 million, with no less but also no more money coming from Harrisburg. "Even a neutral budget is problematic," DiRocco said.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
LEWISBURG -- Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
NORTHUMBERLAND -- Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
SUNBURY -- While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
DANVILLE -- The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St. No appointment is necessary. Customers can just walk in.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
- More News Headlines
-
