DIVING FOR DOLLARS

WASILLA — Of all the ways to shake off the winter blues, not much shows more gusto than jumping into 38-degree water dressed like Gumby — and doing it all for a good cause.

The 12th-annual Mat-Su Plunge, set for Saturday, Feb. 27, in front of the Palmer Elks Lodge on Finger Lake, once again hopes to raise sprits as well as some money for local charitable organizations.

Lake access can be gained from the Elks Lodge, located at 2600 N. Barry’s Resort Dr., off Bogard Road.

Along with being an annual fundraiser for the Mat-Su Sertoma Club and its hearing health mission, this year’s Sertoma grant beneficiaries will be the Wasilla Warrior Music Booster coffee cart project and the Food Pantry of Wasilla’s Food 4 Kids Program.

Registration is set for 10 a.m., with the first plunge scheduled for high noon.

“We have such a great community,” said Sondra Kaplan, president of the Mat-Su Sertoma Club. “This is always such a wonderful event.”

The Mat-Su Sertoma Club is a branch of the national Sertoma organization, one of the oldest service organizations in the country, according to the local website. Its mission is to assist people with hearing health issues in the U.S. The name is an abbreviation for “Service to Mankind.”

Kaplan said the Mat-Su Sertoma Club offers two $1,000 scholarships for each academic year, available to anyone pursuing a medical degree. Special consideration is given to applicants who are hard of hearing, deaf and/or pursuing a degree related to communication disorders.

Award winners for the 2015-16 school year were Lucas Fiebig, who attends Western Washington University and is pursuing a degree in anesthesiology, and Gary Chang of the University of Kentucky college of dentistry. Chang is studying pediatric dentistry.

Kaplan said once again this year, jumpers can retreat to a warm hot tub courtesy of Arctic Home Living. Food also will be available for purchase in the Elks Lodge.

Individual jumpers are asked to raise a minimum of $100, with checks made out to Mat-Su Sertoma and sponsor information filled out on the donations form, which can be found at www.matsuhearing.org/polar-plunge. Jumpers are asked to register online, where supporters can make a pledge of support as well.

Last year’s plunge raised more than $20,000.

“We have quite a few teams jumping this year,” Kaplan said, “and there is still time to get signed up.”

The 2016 event is sponsored by 30-plus businesses and local organizations. Prizes will be awarded to jumpers for the most money raised, most money raised by a team and jumpers with the best costume. The Sertoma Club also will offer a 50/50 raffle.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com