The good news for 60 people planning on taking a quick dip to raise money in Friday's Chillin' 4 Charity event is there will be a hot tub on-site.
The bad news is they first have to spend a long 30 seconds soaking in an outdoor pool filled with icy water from a fire hydrant.
Short-term pain for long-term gain? It's a no-brainer for the 50 UNBC business students who make up the JDC West team. As organizers of the big plunge they have all agreed to personally make a splash in the BMO bank parking lot at 1445 West Central St. to help raise money for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
"This is the first time ever we've had a hot tub," said Sean Friend, who co-captains the UNBC JDC West team with Brian Horning. "Brian and myself are going last, so we get to watch everybody else's suffering and then we'll know what's coming."
Several members of the UNBC basketball team, some prominent community leaders, and Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation CEO Jessica Aldred have also signed up for the dunking detail. The Friday event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mr. Mike's restaurant staff will be on hand selling hamburgers by donation.
As a result of other fundraising activities this fall, the UNBC JDC West team has already banked close to $20,000, all of it earmarked for Spirit of the North. In September, they raised $12,000 in one night at the Dine, Dance and Donate event in Vanderhoof. A Halloween dance at the Prince George Royal Canadian Legion brought in $4,000, and in August the team sponsored a golf tournament at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club that raised more than $3,000.
Each team member is required to raise at least $250 and has to complete at least 12 hours of volunteer activities. The team has a six-month window to raise money. Last year they collected $22,000, all of which went to Spirit of the North, a non-profit charity that buys medical equipment for University Hospital of Northern B.C.
Chillin' 4 Charity involves JDC West teams at 12 Western Canadian universities and UNBC has been a part of it since 2006. Last year the event raised close to $14,000 in Prince George, and the 12-team total was in excess of $200,000.
The UNBC team is hoping to find a corporate sponsor to match their fundraising total, which would allow the creation of a JDC West bursary, which would be offered to a UNBC nursing student annually.
The team is preparing for its annual JDC West competition in Vancouver, Jan. 18-20, which includes athletic, social and team debate competitions.
