The Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club is encouraging the community to ring in the new year with a splash by participating in its 25th annual Polar Bear Plunge and Paddle.
The event is a long-standing tradition with the club that gets the community involved to help raise funds so that the club can continue to thrive and also provide programming for the community.
On January 1, club members and community participants will gather on the beach of Lake Lanier Olympic Park to participate in a 2-mile guided paddle led by recreational director Kim Martin at 11 a.m. The route will go under Clarkes Bridge Road, around Gilligan's Island, and back to the starting point.
However, the main event is the jump some participants will take into Lake Lanier. The Polar Bear Plunge will begin at noon.
Executive Director Jessica Grattan said participants are encouraged to come dressed for fun.
“Participants can come dressed up in costumes, group costumes, individual costumes, just in swimsuits, or in their pajamas if they want,” Grattan said.
Grattan said several community sponsors are assisting with the event.
“Nothing Bundt Cake just opened up over here off of Limestone Parkway and so they gave us vouchers so all participants can receive one voucher to get a free bundtlet," Grattan said.
Those who registered by December 18th are guaranteed a t-shirt commemorating the event, however, those who wish to participate still have time to register.
The club will be taking walk-up registrations on the day of the event at 10:30 a.m. The registration fee to either plunge or paddle is $30. The fee to do both is $40. However, if you’re planning on registering for the paddle on the day of the event, Grattan reminds participants to arrive before 10:30 a.m.
Participants are encouraged to bring a towel and a change of clothes if they are planning to plunge.
The Lanier Canoe and Kayaking Club is a non-profit program that got its kickstart after the 1996 Olympics.
The club supports athletes interested in kayaking, but throughout the year, there are several events for the community at large.
“We have recreational youth programs for ages nine to 17,” Grattan highlighted. “We have our beginner Racing League - that's going to be starting in April, our spring season. Registration for that goes live on January 1, 2023, at midnight. You can get us at our website at lckc.org to register for BRL. That's our Beginner Racing League. We have our Gainesville Hall Dragon Boat challenges coming up in the spring in April, and that's for community groups."
More information about the plunge can be found here.
