We're taking the Polar Bear Plunge again. Maybe. (It's up to you.)

Here at Stoneboat Literary Journal and Pebblebrook Press, our annual fundraiser (donate here) has given rise to a New Year’s tradition. For three years in a row, our co-editors in chief took the Polar Bear Plunge to solicit monetary support for the journal and its press. In 2014, ’15, and ’16, Rob Pockat and Signe Jorgenson jumped into icy Lake Michigan on New Year's Day, despite subzero temperatures, to raise funds that offset our annual operating costs. While this helped us raise money, it also put their health in jeopardy each January. We gave our EICs the year off in 2017 and held a more traditional fundraiser instead. But there’s no fun in that—not for us, and not for you, our supporters.

So, we’re reviving the Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser in 2018 (donate here), but with two twists. First, Poetry and Arts Editor Lisa Vihos will be joining Rob and Signe at the lakefront. And second, our donors will decide whether we stay warm and dry on New Year’s Day or jump into the water with the crowd that chants “It’s not cold enough!” no matter how low the mercury dips. Donors will designate their contributions as “Plunge” or “Don’t Plunge,” and the group that raises the most funds will determine our fate. We’ll broadcast live from Lake Michigan on New Year’s Day, via Facebook, to announce the winner—and jump in if need be.

Stoneboat & Pebblebrook Need Your Help

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, our co-editors in chief, Rob Pockat and Signe Jorgenson, have taken part in the Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser at Sheboygan's lake front for the last three years, jumping into the lake in sub-zero temperatures on New Year's Day to solicit your support for Stoneboat literary journal and its imprint Pebblebrook Press.

Freezin' for a Reason

When was the last time you put on a swim suit and jumped into the icy cold waters of Lake Michigan in the middle of goddamn winter?  For us here in Stoneboatlandia, it has been almost one year to the day. Yes, my friends, it is time once again for our annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser. (Donate here.) Let me say right away that I, Poetry and Arts Editor Lisa Vihos, do not go in the water. I leave that to the professionals. I have carried towels, blankets, and hot chocolate. I provide the warming house because I live near the lake. I just don't go in.

We're taking the plunge...again!

That’s right—we’ll be taking the Polar Bear Plunge this New Year’s Day for the second year in a row, and like last year, we’re raising funds for Stoneboat while we’re at it.

Polar Bear Plunging for a Cause

My fellow Editor in Chief, Rob Pockat, is not afraid to do dumb stuff. That often means that I have to take on the role of baby-sitter. I say "no" a lot and spoil the fun. But every once in a while, I loosen up a little and encourage the idiocy. Now would be one of those times.