Bemidji Jaycees BRRRmidji Plunge
FEBRUARY 2021
The Bemidji Jaycees Annual BRRRmidji Plunge is coming into it's 17th year in 2021!
This event is a cold water plunge which takes place on Lake Bemidji. The event would typically be open to anyone who wishes to take the plunge and jump in the freezing waters to register and raise pledges to do so. This year we are proceeding with the event differently. To adhere to current Covid-19 guidelines, and to maximize the donations our community receives from this event, we will be having a closed event in February with local "celebrities" raising funds for different charities. Whichever charity receives the most donations will have their "celebrity" jumping into the frigid water!
The money raised through donations goes to a variety of local charities and stays right here in the local community. The Bemidji Jaycees, with the help of sponsors, hosts the event, prepares the ice, provides the manpower, and awards the prizes.
Please note that this event will be closed to spectators but will be shared on our social media.
This event is a cold water plunge which takes place on Lake Bemidji. The event would typically be open to anyone who wishes to take the plunge and jump in the freezing waters to register and raise pledges to do so. This year we are proceeding with the event differently. To adhere to current Covid-19 guidelines, and to maximize the donations our community receives from this event, we will be having a closed event in February with local "celebrities" raising funds for different charities. Whichever charity receives the most donations will have their "celebrity" jumping into the frigid water!
The money raised through donations goes to a variety of local charities and stays right here in the local community. The Bemidji Jaycees, with the help of sponsors, hosts the event, prepares the ice, provides the manpower, and awards the prizes.
Please note that this event will be closed to spectators but will be shared on our social media.
Meet the "Celebrities" who are competing to raise the most in donations for their charity!
Tim Lutz is the superintendent of Bemidji Area Schools. Prior to his tenure at ISD 31, he spent ten years as superintendent of Kelliher School. Tim started his educational career as a high school English/Language Arts teacher. After a number of years in the classroom, he was hired as a school counselor and worked as both a high school and elementary counselor. He received his specialist’s degree and spent four years as a school principal before starting as superintendent at Kelliher School. Tim is married to Karyn who is a registered dietitian and works as a food and nutrition consultant in a number of area schools as well as long-term care facilities. Tim and Karyn have two children, Jordan who works as a Sustainability Project Manager at BSU and Katey who is currently the manager of Cantabria Coffee in Bemidji. Mr. Lutz has greatly enjoyed his years in Bemidji Area Schools and finds that his greatest enjoyment comes from visiting school sites and getting to know staff and students, which has been a challenge during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noemi Aylesworth is a wife, a mother and a grandmother. She has been blessed having her children living in Bemidji including her 7 grandchildren. She is proud to be a Bemidji Rotarian and a Bemidji Chamber Ambassador. She loves to walk & bike our great trail system, fish from the kayak, go boating on our local lakes, camp the beautiful MN state parks and enjoys baking. She works full time as a Realtor at Real Living First Realty Bemidji. She is passionate about promoting our Northwoods living. It brings her much joy guiding people though the home buying process and selling. She has chosen to raise funds for “Support within Reach.” They are a private, non-profit, community service organization serving residents and those impacted by incidents of sexual violence. Noemi states, "I am happy to be a part of this worthy fundraiser through Bemidji Jaycees BRRRmidji Plunge. Please donate what you can. I will take the plunge if I raise the most funds. Thank you for considering!".
Larissa Donovan is the News Director for the radio stations of Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, and lives in Bemidji with her two children. Larissa is choosing to raise funds for the Northwoods Battered Women's Shelter. As a journalist, one crucial mantra is to give voice to the voiceless, such as survivors of intimate partner violence. The women's shelter is preparing to open a new facility, as the current facility is often at capacity, meaning some women who wish to escape their abusive partners are turned away. Larissa is passionate about lifting all women up, and knows all too well that women need peace in order to gain upward momentum. Larissa is also an active member of the Bemidji Jaycees. She is relishing the opportunity to beat everyone and jump in that frozen lake, which has almost become a yearly ritual. Paul Bunyan Broadcasting Radio Personality, Larissa Donovan. She is raising donations for the Northwoods Battered Women's Shelter.
Aliza Thoring joined the Bemidji Jaycees in April 2018. She has always loved volunteering and making a difference in her community. She has always believed that she could make a difference in the world and the Bemidji Jaycees helped prove she could. Especially with all the different projects they have and are able to do. Since joining the Bemidji Jaycees she has felt like she gained another family, her Jaycee family. Everyone that knows her, knows her favorite color is pink, that she loves glitter and is a Disney Princess fanatic, especially Frozen's Elsa. Her family means the world to her as well as her friends. Some people call her a crazy cat lady because she loves her cats like they are her own children. She has been told her smile is contagious and she loves to help uplift anyone she can.
We encourage you to donate online through our secure SignMeUp link.
You can donate any amount!
Click on the button below to get started.
You can donate any amount!
Click on the button below to get started.
2021 DONATION FORMS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD BELOW

plunge_donation_form_2021.pdf |
INTERESTED IN BEING A SPONSOR OF THIS EVENT?
We would love to have you or your business involved! Please download the Sponsorship form below or contact us with the form below.
We would love to have you or your business involved! Please download the Sponsorship form below or contact us with the form below.

2021_sponsor_brrmidji_plunge_letter.pdf |
Thank you to our sponsors!
Thank you to Photography by Trish and Ryan Thomas for many of these photos!
Questions? Please use the form below.
2019 BRRRmidji Plunge Donations
On Thursday, March 21, 2019, the Bemidji Jaycees made a $2,000 donation to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf. Funds for this donation were made possible from the Bemidji Jaycees' BRRRmidji Plunge, held in conjunction with Hockey Day MN, on January 19, 2019.
From left: 2019 Bemidji Jaycees President Josh Peterson, BRRRmidji Plunge co-chair Amber Hynes, and Mary Mitchell, Executive Director of the Bemidji Community Food Shelf |
The Bemidji Jaycees donated $1,175.11 to Northwoods Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Funds for this donation were made possible from the Bemidji Jaycees' BRRRmidji Plunge event, held in conjunction with Hockey Day MN on January 19, 2019.
From left: Bemidji Junior Jaycee Sierra Hegg, Bemidji Jaycee Crystal Hegg, BRRRmidji Plunge co-chairs Amber Hynes & Aliza Thoring, and Northwoods Habitat Executive Director Geri Hickerson |
2017 BRRRmidji Plunge Donations
The Bemidji Jaycees recently donated $2,100 to the Northwoods Battered Women's Shelter and $2,090.35 to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf with proceeds from the 2017 Bemidji Jaycees BRRRmidji Plunge! Thank you to everyone who sponsored and participated in the event!
2016 BRRRmidji Plunge Donation
The Bemidji Jaycees were proud to present Deputy Scott Hinners of the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office with a donation of $5,024.02 for Project Lifesaver, the proceeds from the 2016 BRRRmidji Plunge! Thank you to all who donated and jumped into the icy waters of beautiful Lake Bemidji to make the donation to Project Lifesaver possible! From left: BRRRmidji Plunge co-chair Stacey Bahr, Deputy Hinners, co-chair Ryan Thomas, and Jaycee Eva Fisher
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