Walk the Plank fundraiser scheduled

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Photo courtesy / Jamestown Regional Medical Center The seventh annual Polar Pig — Walk the Plank fundraiser for Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s hospice program will take place Feb. 2 at Stutsman Harley-Davidson in Jamestown.

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The water will be warm for the seventh annual Polar Pig — Walk the Plank fundraiser for Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s hospice program on Feb. 2 at the Stutsman Harley-Davidson dealership.

The outside air will not be as hospitable.

The fundraiser includes a silent auction that starts at 9 a.m. and a chili cook-off organized by George Quigley begins at 10:30 a.m.

Don Wegner said the Walk the Plank part of the day starts sometime between noon and 12:30 p.m.

“I started putting this together for Cabin Fever Days,” Wegner said. After the inaugural splashing, Wegner and his volunteers decided to make the event a fundraiser for the hospice program.

“My wife has worked out at the hospital for 40 years and the hospice is a good cause,” Wegner said.

Last year’s event brought in close to $18,000, according to Wegner.

“We’ve raised $67,000 since the beginning,” he said. “Everything we make with the silent auction, the chili cook-off, all of it goes to the hospice program.”

Wegner, with the help of Duane Andersen and six or so other volunteers, put up a pirate ship structure to help create the atmosphere watching people “walk the plank.”

“You could say Duane is my first mate,” Wegner said. “He built most of the pirate ship at his place.”

Anyone may participate. There are prizes for team spirit, best splash and wildest costume.

“Some people just walk up and jump in, others put on little skits,” Wegner said.

The plank-walkers wind up in an 800-gallon tank filled with heated water. Some jumps are accompanied by the lighting of fireworks.

“It sounds like cannons going off,” Wegner said.

The chili cook-off has 12 entries so far, according to Quigley.

“There are no restrictions on what kind of chili you want to enter. Make whatever you want,” he said.

Chili tasters pay $5 and may sample as many entries as they want. The entry that receives the most votes is named the people’s choice.

“It’s more of a bragging-rights thing,” Quigley said.

Wegner is seeking donations from local businesses for the silent auction. To donate to the auction or for more information, call Wegner at 701-320-7866. For more information about the chili cook-off, call Quigley at 701-320-5355. Stutsman Harley-Davidson is located at 2501 Third Ave. S.

Sun reporter Chris Olson can be reached at 701-952-8454

or by email at colson@jamestownsun.com

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