Hunt is on for Shiver Elk River medallion
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Chamber of Commerce’s sixth annual Shiver Elk River plunge now includes more music, more build-up.
Excitement is mounting for the sixth annual Shiver Elk River, and it’s not just the brave souls raising funds for charity and planning to plunge in the icy waters of Lake Orono that have people talking.
The plunge is on Saturday, Feb. 20, but there’s a medallion hunt being sponsored by the Elk River Star News and Elk River Tire and Auto that officially starts today, Feb. 13. Click Here to start the hunt.
Clues will be loaded onto the Star News website on a daily basis, starting with the first one that went up at 12 a.m. Feb. 13. Those that couldn’t wait had the opportunity at noon Feb. 12 to sign up for the Star News e-edition to have the first clue revealed to them in the e-edition.
Going forward, a new clue will go up on the website at 10 a.m. each day. To see what the medallion looks like, go to Elk River Tire and Auto’s website.
The idea for a medallion hunt came from the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the annual community fundraising event.
Tom Murray, the general manager for the Star News, jumped at the idea, and Elk River Tire and Auto, another civic-minded organization, got involved, too.
“I knew that the Star News could provide the platform to maximize the daily reach of the Medallion Hunt to benefit the area’s awareness of the Shiver Elk River 2016 event,” Murray said.
Mike Sultany, owner of Elk River Tire & Auto, saw the hunt as a great way to promote the whole Shiver Elk River effort and sees the Medallion Hunt as another way for people to rally together, have a good time and create a buzz about all the activities happening next weekend.
“We’re pretty excited,” Debbi Rydberg, the chamber’s executive director said. “It’s the type of partnership we are looking for – a win for the sponsoring organization and a win for the event.”
In its first five years, the event has raised $80,272 for 57 different nonprofits. This year’s event will drape two days, starting with live entertainment Friday, Feb. 19, at Rockwoods in Otsego.
There will also be music after the plunge, under “a big, warm tent,” Rydberg said. In between music, there will be a whole lot of family fun, including a tug of war moments before the start of this year’s plunge.
Firefighters from Elk River First Station No. 1 and No. 2 have challenged one another to tug of war over the open water that will be prepared for the plunge. “That should be a lot of fun,” Rydberg said.
There will also be Belgian waffle breakfast, a 5K and 10K walk and run, and plenty of fun out at the lake. There will be a hockey tournament at the Historic Handke Pit and, if there’s enough snow, there will be a snowmobile ride.
The ice appears ready for the event.
“We have been keeping an eye on the ice thickness, and there is enough ice for everyone out there to be safe,” Rydberg said. “Winter always comes to Minnesota, sometimes you just have to be patient.”
The winner of the medallion hunt will receive a check for $500. Jumping into the lake is optional.
The purpose of Shiver Elk River is to embrace a variety of community nonprofits in a profitable and fun community event that raises visibility and funds for all organizations involved.
“I think our biggest surprise is how many people decide at the last minute to plunge ... as we have many same-day registrations,” Rydberg said.
For more information on the event, visit www.shiverelkriver.com.
Shiver Elk River 2016
Medallion hunt
• Find out Clue No. 1 at noon on Friday, Feb. 12 by visiting http://erstarnews.com/star-news-e-edition-ordering. By signing up for a free 8-week trial you can see the first clue before the newspaper hits the street.
• Additional clues will be posted daily at 10 a.m. at www.erstarnews.com.
• To see what the medallion looks like, visit co-medallion hunt sponsor Elk River Tire.
Friday, Feb. 19
• Shiver Bash at 7 p.m. at Rockwoods Banquet Center featuring the music of The Plott Hounds with special guest Jake Nelson.
Saturday, Feb. 20
• Hockey Tournament at the Handke Pit (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
• Belgian Waffle Breakfast at Elk River Lutheran Church (8:30-11:30 a.m.).
• Family snowmobile ride.
• 5K and 10K walk and run.
• Bean bag tourney.
• Make your own s’mores.
• Wolf Moon Kennels will have a dog sled demonstration and rides available from noon to 3. This is sponsored by First National Bank of Elk River and they are raising funds directly for Rivers of Hope (through a donation for a dog sled ride).
• Cabela’s will have ice fishing goodie bags for the first 30 people at the Ice Fishing Clinic; starts at noon.
• John “The Ice Man” Franks will demonstrate ice carving.
• Elk River Fire Station No. 1 is challenging Fire Station No. 2 to a tug of war over the ice hole at 3 p.m. – just before the plunge starts.
• After the plunge, under a (warm) tent, there will live music at Lake Orono featuring Hell Country Truckers from 4-5:30 p.m.
Copyright 2016 Elk River Star News.
