As y’all know I’m already doing DRY JULY in a bid to raise much needed funds for my cousin Reece to undergo expensive cancer treatment.

Now a new fundraising challenge has been laid at my feet. The ICE challenge. From a quick ‘google’ search I have found out that this challenge – originally called the ‘cold water challenge’ was inspired by the mid winter polar plunge (where on a freezing cold day in the middle of winter thousands of absolute loonies gather on a beach and run into the sea and dunk themselves to raise money for charity). The cold water challenge is a variation of this and was originally masterminded by firefighters in the US to raise funds for their station. (or so my google search said)

How it works is you get soaked with cold water (one way or another – the firemen were spraying each other with their hoses) and then you get the fun of nominating someone else to do the same, plus you donate to a specified charity cause and if you don’t complete the challenge in the allotted time, you have to donate a larger amount of money. Win/Win. In New Zealand right now it has evolved to involve a number of buckets of water with ice in them and some weird cases drink a lot of alcohol (not cool). I have a phobia of water (a topic for another time), and for me being cold is worse than being at the dentist. So I knew beyond a doubt that I was NEVER going to do the ICE challenge. I pitied the fool who ever through to nominate me. Then I got nominated (by my husband!!! – what was he thinking??!! The man must have a death wish) and – when I thought about it…I decided it was another great way to raise funds for my cousin. (plus like I say to my styling clients – never say never!)

So cousin…this is how much I love you and your family. I will do something I loathe and something I fear, in the hope that it might raise money to help you.

Ice Challenge

Also – just so you all know –  The water was cold. Very cold. It took me about 20 minutes to get in the bath fully.  The glass has sparkling water in it because of DRYJULY and … to add insult to injury I had to do the challenge twice! Because in the first one, I didn’t stay under the water long enough to get a clear shot of the challenge being completed. Being the consummate professional…I demanded a re-shoot! LOL

The setting of my ICE Challenge!