On January 1st, 2023 at Bond Head Beach in Newcastle, Ontario more than 185 brave individuals took a dip in Lake Ontario!

On behalf of the HollyLynn Towie Family and Autism Home Base, we want to thank everyone for your generous support and donations to this year’s Clarington Polar Bear Swim.

If you were one of the brave who actually dipped in Lake Ontario – our hats go off to you.  That was an incredible achievement!  

We wanted to let you know that your generosity contributed to helping raise over $20,900! 

These funds will help support Autism Home Base. We provide safe, adapted social and recreational opportunities for autistic adults and their family caregivers. Through virtual, community-based, and on-site programs at our Autism Hub, we are building social connectivity for the often-overlooked adults still living at home. Autism Home Base does not receive any core government funding so fundraising events like this are crucial to our sustainability. 

We would like to thank the Clarington Fire Fighters for their amazing support.  Keeping everyone safe was always our priority and the fire fighters did a wonderful job!

A huge shout out to Hugh and Nancy Towie for designating us as their charity of choice, and to Julie Wormington for being such an instrumental part of the team.  All three of these amazing people worked so hard to make this a success and we are extremely grateful.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the following for their support and donations:

• Ontario Power Generation
• Sunbelt Rentals
• Peacock Lumber
• Mother Parkers (Angie Middleton)
• Frosty Johns
• The Courtyard Restaurant
• 99 King
• Old Newcastle House
• Paton Cartage
• Be.You.tiful Hair Salon (Melissa White)
• Droznik Drones
• Orono Weekly Times
• CP24 

Thanks also to Mike Duhamel for capturing and sharing his video record of the event. Follow his Durham Life Facebook page here.

It was an incredible day and we hope that everyone will consider joining us on January 1, 2024 for the next one!

**DO NOT click the DONATE NOW button if you are Registering to Swim. ** Instead, click on one of the boxes below to “Join a Team”, “Create a Team”, or “Join as an Individual.”

Any help is appreciated!

There is a lot you can do to help make this event successful, from planning the event, getting prizes, helping with setup/take down, registration or other event activities.  Please connect with us so we can let you know how you can get involved.

Click here to send us an email!

Rules
Swimsuits only, no nudity (it’s a family event) and no wetsuits (that’s cheating).

Water Temperatures
There is a risk associated with going into Lake Ontario on January 1st. The temperature of the water and the surrounding environment may be extremely cold and Lake Ontario is polluted. You should consult your physician prior to engaging in this event. Individuals who are pregnant, or have poor cardiac functioning, or suffer from a seizure disorder should not participate – just watch. Please see WAIVER FORM.

Do not drink – alcohol does not warm you up – it accelerates hypothermia.
Do not stay in the water longer than 10 minutes. Body heat is lost 25 times faster in water than in air.
Do not remove your clothing until swim time.
We will have members of Clarington Emergency and Fire Services and Durham EMS in attendance to provide emergency service.

Wear Protective Footwear
Wear something on your feet, i.e. old shoes, aqua shoes, etc. It prevents cuts on your feet from the rocks and ice and will stop your feet from sticking to the snow and ice on shore.

Warm Boots
Bring warm/dry boots or shoes to put on once you exit the lake. This is an important point – once your feet get cold, your entire body will want to go on strike. Not pleasant for a long walk back to your vehicle.

Bring Blankets and/or Towel
Bring an old blanket or towel to put down on the icy shoreline to sit down on and change before and after the swim.

If You Wear Glasses
We suggest you obtain an “athletic strap” or something similar to hold them to your face. It is quite difficult to find glasses that have been dropped in the water on a sandy and icy beach, and if you find them, you may not want them after all!

Don’t Forget Your Spotter
Before entering the water, make sure you know where your spotter is. This person will be waiting for you on the shore with your towel and fresh clothing so you can warm up as quickly as possible after the dip.

Good luck and have fun!

Contact Clarington Polar Bear Swim
If you have questions about the Clarington Polar Bear Swim, you can contact us here:
Hugh & Nancy Towie by email to claringtonpolarbearswim@gmail.com

Contact Autism Home Base
If you have questions about the registration form, sponsorships, donations or receipting, you can contact us here:
Email:  Paula@autismhomebase.com
Phone:   Paula 289-278-3489 x5