While most chose to spend their New Year's Day morning quietly in the warm comfort of their homes, a group of Polar Bears marked the start of 2016 by taking an icy dip into Lake Erie.
This was the ninth year for the fundraiser for "Rescuing the Perishing," a church group that feeds the homeless.
"This is our only fundraiser. We do it every year," said Sue Loparo, the program's administrator. "We average about $18,000 and that's enough to run the ministry all year long."
Loparo said the idea started simply enough roughly a decade ago when her pastor threw out a challenge. "He said if someone would give me $200 to jump in the lake I'll do it for the cause and it just mushroomed from there, " she said.
Despite the wind chill in the teens, the record-breaking warmth of December contributed to a healthy crowd this year.
"I've been telling people for the last two weeks if you want to jump, if you ever wanted to jump get down here this year because it's been beautiful. The water temperature is I think 47 degrees. They're not going to want to come out," she laughed.
At 11 a.m. the group made their mad dash into the lake for a practice that has been called a mouthwash for the brain. Some going in up to their waist, some doing the full dunk, others, as Loparo suggested, looked like they might stay in for a while.
Included in the mix was George Newman of Fairview Park, who at 75 years old wanted to scratch the Polar Bear dip off his list. "Actually it wasn't as bad as I expected so I recommend it that everybody do this," he said.
When asked if then had plans for when he turns 80? "Yeah, I want to be alive."
