MANSFIELD, Ohio – The New Year started off very chilly for those who jumped into Charles Mill Lake – all in the name of the fight against cancer.
Approximately 160 people ran in and out of Charles Mill Lake as fast as they could for the 10th annual Polar Bear Dip Cold for a Cure on Friday afternoon. With temperatures barely topping 30 degrees, this year’s jump was considered by some to be warmer than most.
“Our first year we did it, it was about eight degrees outside,” said Marty Ernsberger, a seven-year veteran of the Polar Bear Dip.
Ernsberger first learned of the Polar Bear Dip by way of a flyer at a gas station.
“I thought it looked fun,” he said. “I didn’t learn until later that it was for a bigger purpose.”
That bigger purpose is the fight against cancer. While there is no fee to participate in the Dip, $20 donations are accepted to earn a t-shirt. All donations support the American Cancer Society and the LISA fund for colorectal cancer research.
The cause is personal for co-organizers Chad and Sheila Schrack. Chad used to jump in Charles Mill Lake on New Year’s Day for fun – after Sheila was diagnosed and won her battle with colon cancer, he decided to turn his annual jump into a fundraiser.
“It’s kind of crazy and outside the box, but it’s a good time,” Chad Schrack said. “It’s a lot of fun, and it’s for a good cause.”
Even after more than 10 years of jumping into the frigid waters of Charles Mill Lake, Schrack said that first step into the lake is still a shock.
“It’s just so cold,” Schrack said with a laugh. “The bad thing is, the first couple years it was great but now I know what to expect.”
For Ernsberger, whose family has also been touched by cancer, he agreed the cause is more than worth the cold.
“I’m kind of used to it now, but there’s a moment of regret when you first hit the water and the tingle starts coming up in your feet,” he said. “And in our group, you can’t get back out until you go under (the water).”
Joining Ernsberger’s group for the first time this year was his 7-year-old niece Saleen Miller.
“She’s been begging my sister for about three years to do it, and she finally let her because it was a little bit warmer today,” Ernsberger said.
For Saleen, she said she had fun and would do it again next year – even despite the cold.
“I thought I was going to turn into an ice cube,” she said with a laugh.
