The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

20 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday December 19, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Polar Bears will be dipping into 2009 for World Vision The 24th annual Courage Brothers' Polar Bear Dip for World Vision will take place on New Year's Day at Coronation Park. This year's event is raising funds for water projects in developing countries -- with a fundraising goal of $60,000. The proceeds of Canada's largest charitable polar bear dip will benefit the people of Kahi in the Umutara region of Rwanda. Persistent droughts in the Umutara region have left the majority of the population without reliable access to safe water. Just one in three families in the region draw water from a protected source. The remainder of the population relies on contaminated water collected from shallow hand-dug wells, swamps and ponds. As a result, hundreds of children regularly suffer from recurring waterborne diseases. The shortage of water also has a damaging impact on a child's future. They are the principal fetchers of water and must walk long distances each day carrying heavy containers. Children often miss school classes, or find themselves too tired to concentrate on their studies. Without an opportunity to complete their education, children cannot gain the skills they need to reach their potential. This New Year's Day, the annual Polar Bear Dip in Oakville will provide funds to: drill new wells, build reservoirs, establish rainwater collection facilities that can be used to irrigate vegetable gardens and establish sanitary conditions in homes. Dip Day, of course is Thursday, Jan. 1 at Coronation Park in Oakville (Lakeshore Road between Third Line and Fourth Line. The event began 23 years ago on a dare between family and friends and has now become an expected yearly tradition for hundreds of dippers and thousands of spectators. The 2009 Polar Bear Dip celebrates its 24th anniversary and the 14th year of working with World Vision Canada. Anyone who wants to help can do so by becoming a sponsor or being a polar bear. Dippers pay a $25 registration fee and are encouraged to gather pledges from friends and family. Every $100 raised equals one ballot for the grand prize draw. Others can donate online at www.polarbeardip.ca. Last year, the event raised $60,000 for South Darfur, Sudan. In 2007, $40,000 was raised raised for the Kandiaye & Saré Yéroyel Communities in Senegal. In 2006, $35,000 was raised for the Masima community in Kenya while $60,000 was raised for tsunami relief in 2005 and $20,000 was raised in 2004 for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Zambia and Uganda. For more information, visit www.polarbeardip.ca. c h a rt w e l l c l as s ic o a k v i l l e l u x u r y r e t i r e m e n t l i v i n g Our gift to you this holiday season, our "home suite home" sale! Move in before January 31st and receive one month's free rent on a one bedroom Scarlet suite. Some conditions apply. DECEMBER FREE EVENTS: Tuesday, December 23: Christmas Concert ­ Tenor Gregory Cross 7-9pm Saturday, December 27: Open House - Live Entertainment, Refreshments, Tours 1-3pm 905-257-0095 www.chartwellreit.ca 180 Oak Park Blvd., Oakville, ON