Feb 4, 2018 2 min read

COAL CENTER – So how exactly does it feel to leap into the swirling currents of the Monongahela River on a brisk February afternoon?

“You know, it feels pretty good,” said Jason Capello of Lebanon, who was taking a comparatively unhurried stroll to a warming tent after his brief dip in the Mon.

Capello was one of about 50 participants in Frosty Frolic, the fifth annual event sponsored by California Area School District Foundation. A fundraiser for an assortment of scholarships, grants and other initiatives within the school district, it has previously raised upwards of $7,000. Taking place at Coal Center’s boat ramp, entrants who ranged in age from about 10 to 55 jumped in the 40-degree water with rescuers at the ready. Though it was certainly cold comfort, the water was actually warmer than the air temperature, which was a shivery 26 degrees.

The jump in the river was preceded by a costume contest, with the winning team bedecked in ice cubes (which they removed before getting in the water). A member of the team, Nikki Maniecki of Eighty Four, was also on the winning team last year, which wore 1960s-themed costumes. Maniecki explained it was “invigorating” to be in the frigid water for a handful of seconds.

“And we’ll be back next year,” she said.

Frosty Folic has become a first-Saturday-in-February tradition for California Area School District Foundation. Along with scholarships and grants, proceeds have also gone to such endeavors as a hydroponics program for district third-graders.

“We do everything for our children,” said Lisa Amber, who serves on the foundation’s board of trustees.