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

Rwandan humanitarian tries the Polar plunge By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Jumping into a frigid Lake Ontario is no easy task and yet hundreds of Oakville residents do it each year on New Year's Day. Some do it for the experience. Some for the adrenalin. All do it to help provide people living in impoverished African countries something the Great Lakes give us an abundance of -- clean drinking water. Now, one humanitarian and grateful recipient of those efforts has done it to share in the experience many southern Ontario residents have been part of over the past 27 years. "My goodness, the water is very cold. I can't even stand," said George Gitau, the national director of World Vision in Rwanda, moments after stepping out of the lake last week. He was joined in the lake by the Courage brothers --Todd and Trent -- who have organized the annual Courage Polar Bear Dip, which, since 1995 has raised nearly $1 million for World Vision water projects around the world, including in Rwanda. The dip raised funds for other charitable initiatives prior to 1995. "I'm doing it in solidarity with the Courage brothers because they have done a wonderful job of supporting our communities in Rwanda to be able to get clean and safe water for drinking for children and their families in an area called Kahi, an area that is very needy of water," Gitau said. In 2009 and 2010, the New Year's Day dip raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Kahi, Rwanda area, which Gitau has seen first hand save hundreds of lives. The Courage brothers visited the Kahi area three years ago when the water projects were just beginning. "It's fantastic to have him come and see what we do," Todd said. "He also brought some pictures and statistics of what has been happening with 7 · Friday, November 16, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com JAYSON MILLS / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER / @halton_photog DOUBLE DIPPING: Todd and Trent Courage, along with George Gitau, national director of World Vision Rwanda, ventured into the chilly waters by Coronation Park Tuesday afternoon so Gitau could experience what Canadians go through when taking part in the Polar Bear Dip every Jan. 1. the money that has been raised and the boreholes and wells." "It's a few years later and we're seeing all the great results and every year that we do this, we know there are results like that in different projects," added brother Trent. "This year, we're going to be working a little bit more in the Kahi, Rwanda region as well. There's still more to be done and we're more than happy to do this dip again." This was Gitau's second visit to Canada, but the first during cold weather months. However, he needed no prodding to step into the lake, which he did twice for news cameras. "He was more enthused than we were today," said Trent. "He was a rock star today, more than we were. It was good for him for doing that," said Todd. This year's dip is expected to exceed the $1 million raised mark for World Vision water projects. For more information, visit www.polarbeardip.ca. Sore Feet, Sports Injury, Painful Ingrown Toenails? Plantar Warts? We can help! Exceptional footcare for all ages. · Routine footcare · Corns & calluses · Plantar warts · Heel/arch/foot pain · Diabetic footcare and education · Thick or ingrown nails · Nail surgery · Sports related foot problems & injuries · Custom made orthotics · Sigvaris® compression stockings · Evenings and saturday appointments available · New patients welcome! J. Richard Werkman CHIROPODIST PROFESSIONAL PAINTERS · Plaster Repair · Interior/Exterior · Stucco · Personalized Service · Wallpapering/ Stripping · Free Estimate Inter-Can Painting Inc. Hubert Klein (owner) Over 30 Years In Business (905) 469 - 0092 1426 Wallace Rd. #3, Oakville Visit our website, subscribe to our Blog or call for an appointment. Ample Free parking. located on the north/west corner of maple grove dr. and cornwall rd. 1495 Cornwall Rd., Suite 33, Oakville T: 905-845-4817 www.werkman.ca $50 Valid Until December 30, 2012 Any Work Over $500 VISIT OUR WEDNESDAY, Open House on NOVEMBER NOVEMB BER 21 21 The real deal. We've seen cheap knock-offs. We've seen expensive knock-offs. But for quality and wear, nothing steps up like the original, time-tested Blundstone boot. Pull on comfort since 1870. That's the deal. MY PEERS AT HSC CHALLENGED ME TO DO MY BEST. Our students feel empowered to make positive choices in creating action plans and succeeding at HSC and beyond. - Cheryl Diefenbacher, Director of Student Services Foot Solutions has helped hundreds of customers achieve a desired level of comfort. Let us help you! Hillfield Strathallan College is an independent day school for students from M3 and PK to Grade 12. Visit us at www.hsc.on.ca. We are accessible and affordable. Call Scott Barton 905-389-1367 OFF (905) 339-Foot (3668) www.footsolutions.com/oakville OPEN: Tuesday-Sunday CLOSED: Monday 213 Lakeshore Rd., East