Rivers Polar Plunge exceeds expectations
- Details
- Published on Thursday, February 26, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
The Jan. 30 edition of Rivers Banner reported that Rivers Police Chief Bruce Klassen had a goal to raise $500 by Feb. 21. That was the date of the Polar Plunge, a law enforcement initiative to raise money for Special Olympics.
Held throughout Canada for years, this was the first time Brandon hosted a jump; they hoped for 50 participants and had 78. Those who registered also raised $28,875 which, according to Special Olympics Manitoba is “phenominal; you don’t get that kind of money at a first time event.” Klassen collected $708.00.
Held at 2:30 p.m. for the supposedly warmest time of day, that Saturday afternoon the thermometre registered -19C but with the wind chill it felt like -29C. The event was held at Assiniboine Community College’s north hill campus where a lined dumpster had been filled with water. Moments before the first set of jumpers walked the “plank” (metal stairs), a pool skimmer was used to break the ice and remove it from the surface. Person after person honoured their commitment to jump into the freezing water, though some seemed more willing than others. Some faces displayed hesitancy and then determination, while others were downright excited and didn’t even wait for the “Three... Two... One!” countdown to jump. Fifty-some spectators on bleachers offered verbal encouragement while another estimated 100 people watched from the warmth of the Len Evans Centre.
Klassen wore knee-length swimming trunks and a Rivers Police shirt while Const. Kristen Gustadarchuk, who works part-time in Rivers, wore a one-piece red bathing suit and a Rivers Police shirt. Surprisingly, her bare legs and feet did not match the red of her suit as she walked in the jump area (likely to acclimatize herself somewhat) before the plunge. Klassen is currently on holiday in Las Vegas and did not respond to phone calls or emails but Gustadarchuk readily spoke of the experience.
“It took your breath away; you can’t think, you can’t speak. I totally saw the scene from Titanic when Jack is telling Rose don’t jump in the water because it’s so cold, and that’s all I could think of. I’ve never experienced anything that cold before, it was an absolute shock to the system. But it was awesome and I will totally do it again next year, given the opportunity.
“The air outside was fine, but the second I jumped, I remember hearing voices saying, “Okay, here’s the stairs, you can climb out now,” but I couldn’t think. And my hand froze to the railing because I grabbed a part without the rubber insulator. It was like, yeah... wow!”
Gustadarchuk raised $250. The voices she heard came from two paramedics who wore insulated wet suits and were in the tank at all times to guide participants to the exit. There were also people on the exit stairs to congratulate jumpers and help them down. Between jumps, a propane torch was used to melt some ice off the stairs.
Also participating in the plunge were Dave Scott and Willemien van Lankvelt. Scott has lived in Rivers for the last 22 years, all of which have been spent in law enforcement. He is currently a constable with Brandon Police Service and was part of Team Braveheart whose five members raised $5,000. Van Lankvelt lived and worked in the Cardale/Rivers area for more than 25 years, moving to Brandon in 2007, and was the executive director of Rolling Dale Enterprises from 1996-2004. She was part of of Team Plungers (they dressed in costumes, all wearing toilet plungers as hats) which collected $1,689.
