Photo via Facebook by Randall Burt. Resident Matt Ekstrom takes the plunge in Chautauqua Lake at the sixth annual Polar Plunge Saturday, an event that helps to raise money for the Food Bank of Western New York.

MAYVILLE — It’s the 33rd annual President’s Day Weekend Winter Festival in Mayville, and along with the ice castle and fireworks came the sixth annual Polar Plunge Saturday. The plunge is an event held each year to help generate donations for the Food Bank of Western New York.

“The jumpers all bring in a minimum of $50 and so far we’ve raised $25,000, over all, for the food bank this year alone,” event co-organizer Dr. Robert Berke said. “This is probably the biggest crowd we’ve had yet.”

And he was right. According to registration sheets, the event had over 100 participants, which with at least a $50 donation, equals $5,000 generated at the minimum.

“It’s one of the things we feel we have to do every year for our community,” Berke added.

The group has offices in both Mayville and Jamestown as well as a depot in Celoron that stores and distributes goods, keeping the food local.

Berke spoke of how need is still great in the county, especially in light of the recent partial government shutdown.

“I think this last issue with the government shutdown, we saw people in a week or two, out there, needing to get food because the data is showing that most people in the country are within $400 of having a problem,” Berke stated. “So if we can just put a little food on their table, it’s a great thing we can do.”

Lexi Sturges, a third-grader from Chautauqua Lake Central School, enjoyed the jump and said she would totally do it again. A lot of children took the plunge this year and had a good time doing so.

“It was good, but cold!” Lexi said.

Matt Ekstrom, a second year jumper raised $600 in donations through FaceBook.

“It was cold! It takes your breath away,” Ekstrom said. “But they do a great job, so it’s worth it.”