What You Should Know
There are risks associated with going into Lake Ontario on January 1. The temperature of the water and the surrounding environment may be extremely cold and Lake Ontario is polluted. You should consult your physician prior to engaging in this event. Individuals who are pregnant, or have poor cardiac functioning, or suffer from a seizure disorder should not participate.
How To Participate
1. Create your online fundraising page. (all online fundraisers will jump to the front of the dippers line on January 1st)
- If you will only be paying the $25 registration fee or if you prefer the printed registration form you can download a copy here or fill one out at the registration desk on January 1st
2. Ask friends and family to support your dip with donations (minimum $20 donation to receive a tax receipt). Every $100 in collected donations will get you 1 ballot for our prize draws, plus the individual who raises the most money will win a grand prize. The more you raise, the more chances you have to win a Nintendo Wii, XBox or Nintendo DS courtesy of Shoppers Drug Mart at Third Line and Upper Middle in Oakville.
3. Grab a friend to be your spotter and arrive at Coronation Park in Oakville by 1pm to ensure you have time to find parking and register. There is a limited number of parking spaces at Coronation Park so please consider taking the free Stock Transportation shuttle bus leaving from Lick's Bronte at 2420 Lakeshore Road W. in Oakville.
4. Visit the registration table to hand over your $25 registration fee (cash or cheque made out to World Vision Canada | Credit card and debit not available), waiver form and any funds raised and you will receive your dipper wristband and Swag Bag. If you would like to skip the registration lineup on January 1st you can pre-regsiter by visiting our office at 2380 Speers Road in Oakville on December 28-30 from 10am-2pm
- Your 2012 swag bag includes an Official Polar Bear Dip t-shirt, temporary tattoo, orange spotter wristband and dippers certificate. You will also receive items from our supporters including a copy of Get Out There magazine, a $10 gift card from Tin Cup Oakville, free kids ice cream and $1 burger coupons from Lick's Bronte, a collapsible water bottle from BIOS H20, a $20 coupon from Way Cool Tattoos Oakville, a mini pie from Oakrun Bakery and a box of Deep Relief patches from Mentholatum. All in a beautiful reusable Polar Bear Dip tote bag.
5. If you are taking part in the costume contest, make your way to the stage by 1:10pm to register yourself or your team.
6. Don't rush to line-up. Take time to enjoy the live music and costume contest before making your way to the beach. While the first wave will take the pluge at 2pm sharp, we have over 700 participants so there will be multiple waves of dippers.
- Bring an old blanket or towel to put down on the beach so you can sit and change before the dip.
- Do not strip down to your swim suit until it's time for the dip.
- Make sure to wear an old pair of shoes or "aqua socks" into the water to prevent cuts from the rocks and to stop your feet from sticking to any snow or ice on the shore.
- If you wear glasses, make sure to secure them with an athletic strap.
- Do not stay in the water longer than three crawl strokes. Body heat is lost 25 times faster in water than in air.
- Make sure you know where your spotter is before you enter the water. This friend will be waiting for you on the shore with a towel, fresh clothing and dry shoes.
- After the dip, head over to the mens or womens heated change tents and get changed in comfort.
- Get a feel for the dip by checking out our You Tube Channel
7. Join us at Tin Cup Sports Grill in Oakville for the official post-dip party! Live music from Glenn Groves, food specials and raffle draws await! Plus 10% of all food purchases on January 1st will go back to the Courage Polar Bear Dip