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Time for letting loose up at Olcott Beach Polar Bear Swim raises thousands for Olcott Lions programs Photo and story
by Terry Duffy
Following a very mild start, it seems like we’ve all gotten through the snow and cold of what’s probably going to be the worst of this winter. Now it’s time for a little letting loose. Again, you say? Why not? Yes, those Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday celebrations just ended and St. Patty’s Day is still is on the horizon. But there’s yet another favorite day of fun and craziness coming up – this time on the icy shores on Lake Ontario. The event? Why the Polar Bear Swim for Sight of course, a community day of fun and frolic in the chilly waters off Olcott Beach to benefit Lions Club Sight Programs. A yearly happening of the Olcott Lions Club, this year’s swim, its 38th annual, takes place Sunday, March 4, beginning with – what else – a tailgate party beginning at 10 a.m. to get things started off right. Annual Rite of Zaniness Registration opens at 11 a.m. on the shores of Krull County Park at Olcott Beach. And if past Polar Bear swims are any indicator, this year’s offering will again see the zaniness of hundreds, as participants of all ages, shapes and sizes, dressed in extraneous swim wear and armed with pledge monies, will take to the 33-degree lake – albeit briefly – for a dip to benefit Lions Club Sight programs. Over the years these have included such projects as: Canine Helpers for the Handicapped; Glasses for the Sight Impaired; Lions Camp Badger; Equi-Star Therapeutic Riding; Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service; Niagara Hospice; Inter-Community Memorial Hospital; Olcott Volunteer Fire Company; Ray Wheeler Humanitarian Fund; Olcott Carousel and community projects; Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Olcott Lions Scholarship Fund; eye disease research and treatment; Diabetes treatment and research; and local food and soup kitchens. Joining on this year as beneficiaries Campaign Sight First, the Buffalo Inner City program and Lions Disaster Relief programs. It’s a happening that seems to grow in popularity each year, according to Olcott Lions Club organizers. Last year, despite a very mild winter leading into February and March, a sudden cold snap kicked in and heavy beach ice formed on the Krull County beach shores, which then had to be broken up by the Town of Newfane Highway Department. At the 2006 swim, a record 481 swimmers, literally from all points on the Western New York scene and many in varying stages of libation, took the plunge, raising nearly $15,000 when all tallies came in. This winter, with Western New York just coming off of six-plus weeks of frigid temps, there’s already ice aplenty along the Lake Ontario shores. But that hasn’t chilled the enthusiasm of Lions organizers one bit, says event chair Bill Clarke. He reports that, in addition to the swim itself, there’s before-and-after fun for all to partake in. Lead-off Happenings In fact, it gets under way this weekend with the Camp Kenan Polar Bear 5K Run, Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Olcott Fire Hall, 1691 Lockport Olcott Road, beginning at 10 a.m. For details on registration, call the YMCA at 434-8887. On March 4, in addition to the swim itself, activities include: •From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the ever-popular Highland Games Strongman Competition (kilts optional) will take place at the Harbor Inn, located just west of the bridge in Olcott Beach. •At 1:45 p.m., the always enjoyable Polar Bear Queen Contest, featuring some eye-catching participants, takes place on the Krull County Park beach shore. Contestants should check in at the Lions Pavilion, located just above the wall in the park. •At 1:50 p.m., swimmers under age 18 will begin their dunking in the lake, and •At 2 p.m. sharp the annual Swim For Sight commences. For those unfamiliar with the setting, Clark notes the day typically sees its share of outdoor parties – likened to those found in the lots at a Buffalo Bills game – throughout the Olcott village area. He adds that area Lions organizations will be joining in the fun too, with the Newfane Lions hosting a chowder sale; the folks from Vision Beyond Sight on hand selling hot chocolate, and the Gasport Lions manning a hot dog cart for visitors What’s more, he adds a number of local bars and restaurants in Olcott Beach will be holding Polar Bear swim parties, with food and drink specials throughout the day and evening. Sounds like a great way to let loose and have fun for a good cause – forget the cold. Some History So how did this rather unusual assemblage of buffoonery come to be anyway, one might ask? What began as a dare in a small bar called The Black Stallion, owned by Mike Rann in Olcott Beach way back in February, 1968, has since gone on to become a yearly happening on the Western New York scene. True there are others in the area – such as the Dunkirk Polar Bear Club swim held in the fall and a similar venture weeks later out at Hideaway Bay, both on the Lake Erie shores well south of Buffalo -- but the Olcott swim remains legendary. Consider this recent account offered by Olcott Lions Club member Joyce Lee. “Back in 1968, Herb Reed, a customer, dared Mike Rann to jump into the lake one cold February evening while they were having a few beers,” Lee said. “Word got around and more people wanted to go into the lake so it became an annual event and the Polar Bear Club was started.” “Many other interesting clubs started in that bar as well, but this one seems to have a life of its own,” she added. In 1978, the club donated funds raised from the swim to a local youth who was undergoing an eye operation. From that point onward, the club has gone on to assist many more youngsters in similar situations, which continues to this day. “What better way to spend a Sunday in the middle of winter?” Lee asked. Area residents so inclined are very much invited to join the Olcott Lions in their quest for the unusual for a good cause. Do mark this one on your calendars. It promises to be a good one. For details, call 625-1542, or e-mail: swimforsight@hotmail.com. |
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