The Martlet

UVic students plunged into the icy waters of Cadboro Bay on March 1 to raise money for cancer research.

“It’s something that is close to everyone’s hearts, and everyone can relate to it in some way. It was a great success,” said Erika Maddox, one of the event’s organizers.

The event kicked off with music, and speeches from Andrew Hall and Michela Byl on how cancer has affected their lives and their reasons for organizing the event. Byl explained that she had a friend who had just been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

“It would be great to see everyone come together as one,” Byl said.

The duo also shared the news that the group has raised over $2,000 for cancer research, far surpassing their original goal of $500.

Once the chilly dip began, participants stayed in the frigid waters for 74 seconds — one second for every thousand people that died of cancer in Canada last year.

The original five members — Maddox, Hall, Byl, Amanda Gillander and Blake Adam — didn’t have to endure the cold waters on their own; at least 20 friends and family members took the plunge with them. Another group of friends and family supported the swimmers from the shore.

“We weren’t expecting so many people to show up,” said Gillander, a first-year student at UVic. “We figured each of us would be able to get a friend or two to come out. The number of supporters definitely exceeded our expectations.”

When the swimmers emerged from the water, pink and shivering, friends waited ashore with blankets, towels and hugs. People warmed up while sipping on coffee and tea donated by Starbucks.

“It was fun to do — it wasn’t a chore, and I would do it again,” Gillander said. “It was worthwhile to know that we were coming together and making a difference.”

Byl was also pleased with the experience.

“Definitely got a little adrenaline rush from it!” Byl said.

What began as a “half-hearted” project for a health and well-being class, became something much more than a way to get marks. The criteria for the assignment was to create a legacy that the members of the group would want to leave behind to enhance human wellness and potential.

“At first we wanted to just participate in a few walks for causes, such as the walk for people with Alzheimer’s disease,” Maddox said. “Then we found out a member of our group had recently lost a family member to cancer, and we decided that it really does affect everyone, and switched our topic.”

It took the group about three weeks to organize the event. The first two weeks consisted of brainstorming ideas and outlining what they wanted to accomplish. By the third week, there was a group on Facebook with 60 members. Then the pledges started coming in.

“It is extremely easy to set up an event,” Byl said. “The Canadian Cancer Society was a huge help to us, they assisted us in setting up a website and provided information, banners and brochures. All we had to do was ask for help, which is the best thing you can do when planning an event.”