The New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim in Mexico’s largest lake was deemed a rousing success, bringing in a hefty chunk of change to fund vital medical services at Cruz Roja Chapala.
Two dozen bold souls gathered along the waterfront Malecon and stripped down to skimpy swim wear before making a mad dash for the chilly waters before them. But knee-deep mud soaked by an unseasonal downpour the previous night made for mucky conditions better fit for crocs and swamp critters than for ursine beasts of the icy far north. Nearly half of the swimmers promptly sank into the thick black goo, looking every bit as if they were being swallowed up by quicksand.
As those who the managed to avoid the trap helped liberate their cohorts from the miasma, scores of on-lookers—including a good number of astonished Guadalajara tourists—took in the peculiar scene. Soon enough all were frolicking in the waste-high water, cheerfully splashing about in the company of a pair of native herons and a large flock of bright yellow rubber duckies.
It was all a great hoot as well as a financial triumph for a worthy cause. Margy Kassier, newly instated president of Cruz Roja International Volunteers, reports proceeds of 230,000 pesos, more than triple last year’s net and the best take in the four-year history of the polar plunge. Raffle ticket sales brought in about two third of that amount, with the rest coming from sponsorships of the dippers.
Kassier took advantage of the event to publicly recognize Polar Bear plunge founders Pedro and Yvonne Kertesz, awarding them official titles as Papa and Mama Bear. She extended special thanks to the Beer Garden Restaurant as venue host and members of the Lake Chapala Kayak Club who helped round up sponsors and paddled in from Ajijic to encourage the swimmers.