A group of university students are taking the plunge for charity this week.
Members of the University of Northern British Columbia's Jeu de Commerce (JDC) West team will be sacrificing their warmth (and some may say good sense) to raise money for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
The traditional JDC West Chillin' for Charity takes place Wednesday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in front of title sponsor Bank of Montreal's Central Street West location. The event features members of the business case competition team and other local personalities taking a dip into an uncomfortably cold tank of water with the goal of bringing in about $10,000 for the foundation.
This year, about 50 people will take the plunge into the portable water tank supplied by the Ministry of Forests, said Sean Friend, the BMO UNBC JDC West executive of charity and events.
"Last year we did it when it was nearly - 35 degrees Celsius, but it was a great atmosphere. Everybody knows it's for the Spirit of the North," Friend said.
In addition to collecting at least $200 in pledges per member, the team has also distributed paper ice cubes at the BMO branch for which customers can make a $2 donation. On the day of the dip, supporters can also purchase bags of ice on site to add to the pool to make it extra chilly.
The various factions of the team are competing against each other. Within each competing team, the one that makes more money gets to choose the outfits their opponents will take their plunge in and they will also get to watch them jump in first.
The losing team is then not allowed to get out of the water until the winning team has gotten in and out at their leisure, Friend explained.
Among those who are taking the dip for a second year is Spirit of the North chief executive officer Don Gowan.
"I call myself a bit of a baby bear when it comes to cold water, but it was actually quite refreshing. When I got out it was quite invigorating, I guess," Gowan said of last year's plunge, adding he forgot his bathing suit and jumped in following a business luncheon, shedding only his suit jacket and tie.
"What I really like about it is, we certainly have so many generous donors out there, but this is just getting a whole new generation of people involved with giving back and the JDC West group, there's 50 business students and 'extremely passionate' would probably be an appropriate way of describing them because they're out there working their rear ends off helping us raise money for a great cause and to have fun at the same time," Gowan said. "That's the beauty of having a university in Prince George - it gives us exuberant young minds."
Those minds are steadily working towards January's JDC West competition in Edmonton.
UNBC will compete against 11 other universities from western Canada in a bid to be named School of the Year. Students focus on various aspects such as accounting, business strategy, entrepreneurship, finance and international business and put their skills to the test in a three-day competition.
The group is gaining in popularity, Friend explained, with more than 85 people trying out for 36 business case spots on the team.
"[Attending last year's competition] was definitely one of my best experiences," Friend said.
