SHERYL
NADLER
(THIS
PAGE);
LUIS
ARMENTA
(OPPOSITE)
WINTER 2004/05
childview
WORLD VISION 1
Todd and
Trent
Courage
FUNDRAISERS
Oakville, Ontario
I
it takes courage to jump into a freezing
lake—and it takes Todd and Trent Courage
to convince others to do the same. The
brothers are co-founders of the Courage
Brothers' Polar Bear Dip for World Vision.
This annual New Year's Day ritual draws
hundreds of hardy souls into Lake Ontario
for a brief, but unforgettable, taste of 1 C
water.
"It feels like pins and needles," says Todd,
41. "You hyperventilate," adds Trent, 37,
"and you feel like your chest is constricting.
But you feel really refreshed afterward."
Todd and Trent first tested the icy waters
in 1985 as a youthful lark. But when the
Oakville, Ontario, dip began to attract
crowds, they contacted World Vision to turn
it into a fundraiser. "[World Vision] is very
efficient, it involves children, and it makes
a real impact on people's lives," explains
Trent, who runs a window-film manufacturing
and distributing company with
Todd.
Since the partnership with World Vision
began in 1995, the Polar Bear Dip has
raised $120,000 to provide impoverished
communities with clean drinking water.
Thanks to Todd and Trent's dedication, the
event is now the largest of its kind in Eastern
Canada. Last year, 400 people hit the
water as 5,000 watched from shore.
Kristina Huddy, manager of World
Vision's volunteer department, gives the
brothers credit for the event's success.
"There's the craziness aspect, but a lot of it
has to do with Todd and Trent's personalities.
They have a great sense of humour and
they're really passionate about World
Vision's work."
So will even more people brave the cold
for World Vision in 2005? Let's just say Todd
and Trent are warm to that idea.
Todd (left) and Trent
Courage can hardly wait
for the 20th anniversary
of the Polar Bear Dip on
New Year's Day.
pdf