Making a splash for a good cause!

[Dabeer]

Every year since 2008, residents of northern Virginia have donned ridiculous costumes and jumped into an ice-covered lake, all in the name of charity.



I joined this crowd in 2010, and will be jumping again this year for the 6th time as Captain of Team Viking! I'll be joined again by my mother and my 2 daughters. Last year we raised over $1000 - we're a bit behind this year, but we're hoping to catch up.

The VA Polar Dip supports Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Maine that benefits children with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer. Families receive a week of reprieve from the stresses of dealing with their child's illness. This is made available to them free of charge thanks to the support from donors who sponsor idiots like me to jump into Lake Anne in Reston, VA.

This fundraising effort is led by my wife's friend Gail, who enjoyed this benefit from Camp Sunshine when her daughter was fighting cancer, and who wants to ensure other families can receive this benefit as well. Childhood cancers are different from adult cancers and require different treatments. Of the money that goes to cancer, only 4% goes to childhood cancer research. Her daughter is one of the lucky ones and is all grown up and studying to be the kind of doctor that saved her life.

Camp Sunshine is an approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so your donation may be tax deductible, and received a 4/4 rating from charitynavigator.com. If you feel so inclined, please head over to 2016 Virginia Polar Dip: Duff Means - Camp Sunshine and make a donation. And if you're in the area on February 6, stop by at 2pm to watch the festivities!

Donate here!

A special thank you to the moderators of papermodelers.com, who pre-approved this post. In recognition, if the majority of my donations come from members here, I will be announcing papermodelers.com as the official team sponsor before we jump.

Thanks in advance to everyone who donates!