MHA Nation Takes the Plunge
By Jerry W. Kram
It has been an odd February in North Dakota. Much of the month has been mild, with many places hitting record high temperatures. But when it came time for the courageous fundraisers to make good on their commitment to dive into Lake Sakakawea, Mother Nature unveiled her cruel and humorous side by making sure everyone was shivering with temperatures in the single digits.
Indeed, the weather had been so mild, organizers of the Polar Plunge had to change their plans from cutting a hole in the ice to having the daredevil divers jump off the end of a dock because there was open water at the Four Bears Marina on, appropriately enough, Leap Day, Feb. 29.
While some of the participants were veterans of prior plunges elsewhere, most of the participants were first timers. Renae Seminole and Abel Feltus of Mandaree were two of the participants. Like many people in the community, they wanted to participate because their lives had been touched by cancer. The money raised by the event was donated to the American Indian Cancer Foundation.
"My father had cancer and passed away," Seminole said. "So I want to dive in for him and for all the other families dealing with cancer."
