12th annual Polar Bear Swim is Jan. 1

GAINESVILLE - Once the gifts are open and the tree comes down, the holiday focus in Northeast Georgia turns to Lake Lanier and the annual Polar Bear Swim.

The event is sponsored by the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club and is in its 12th year, according to club president Steve Sorrells. The theme for this year's swim: Mudslide.

Sorrells said it's an acknowledgement of the continued low level of the drought-plagued lake, "and, of course, all the mud around the water level."

Those who are brave enough to take the plunge into the receding waters of Lake Lanier should meet at the Olympic Canoe/Kayak venue on Clarks Bridge Road at 2 p.m. New Year's Day.

The icy plunge is one of the major fundraisers for the LCKC. To find out how much it will cost to enter this year, go to the LCKC Web site.

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On the Net: Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club. http://www.lckc.org

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/12/216307