January 9, 2018
TAKING THE POLAR PLUNGE
YATESVILLE LAKE — Some called it the Polar Slip and Slide because of all the ice that had to be broken up just to get into the water.
You may ask why? At the beginning of the week a challenge was issued to raise $2,000 dollars for the annual ‘Night to Shine’ event at Louisa United Methodist Church. If the amount was raised Mitch Castle, Lawrence Vinson and George Salyers said they would jump into the frozen water at the lake front on January 7, 2018.
Guess what? It happened.
LUMC Youth leader (and Louisa City Council member) Mitch Castle said, “Oh My God what an awesome week, you people are so unbelievable and so generous.”
They exceeded that amount with a whopping $3,065 dollars. Money can still be sent to PayPay.me in Mitch Castle’s name. The Annual Night to Shine event is held at the Louisa Methodist ‘Church on February 9 , 2018.
When asked about the experience Mitch Castle said:
“…As far as the experience, it was everything you can imagine. Cold, cold, cold! Probably the build up to doing it was worse than the actual 10 seconds in the water. I can’t believe we did this, I can’t believe how cold it was, I can’t believe we had to hammer through ice to make it happen, and I certainly can’t believe we raised over $3,000!!!!!!
WHAT AN AWESOME DAY. THANK YOU, everyone for contributing to a cause that I love so much. ‘Night To Shine’ is about more than just one night. It’s about the individuals who are often looked at as less of a person because of a special need.
It’s about Rayanna, a queen from Libya who’s coming to her very first prom this year but has witnessed firsthand real life war and who saw her parents murdered by a government she was supposed to trust.
It’s about Brent, Saundra, Chelsey, Troy, Amie, Whitney, I could go on and on and on. It’s about one night that’s dedicated not just to those with special needs but to people who the world should celebrate more.
The event takes a lot of planning, a lot of work, and A LOT of money – but it’s ALL worth it! That’s why we raise money, that’s why we host fundraisers, that’s why, on a -1 degree day we broke ice and dove into a frozen lake. Because to us, ‘Night To Shine is more than just a night!”
