FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Att: Lifestyle Editor, City Editor, Travel Editor

“POLAR BEAR DIPS FOR POLAR BEARS”

Algonquin Park, Ontario – December 24, 2004 – This winter guests at the Algonquin Eco-Lodge will have a chance to take part in the first annual Polar Bear Dip-a-Thon. By jumping through a hole in the ice of frozen Moffat Pond, these brave adventurers will be able to contribute to a World Wildlife Fund program designed to aide the survival of Polar Bears and their fragile ecology – and have some unique fun as well!

The Lodge, a favourite destination for cross country skiers and dogsledders, has an outdoor, wood-fired hot tub and sauna at the waters edge. Intrepid guests will be encouraged to submerge themselves in the ice cold water (only waist deep so no danger of drowning!) before jumping into the hot tub to warm up. Upon successful completion of such an ardent task, adventurers will be inducted into the Eco-Lodge’s “International Polar Bear Club”, and they will receive a certificate to attest to their bravery. Once safely back at home, they will also receive a digital photo of their escapade to show their friends (and prove that they actually did it!).

Co-owners Robin Banerjee and Maureen Malone, decided to make what started out to be a fun Lodge tradition on New Year’s Eve a pledge-driven ‘Dip-a-Thon’ in support of the WWF’s Adopt a Polar Bear program. “By getting people to ask their friends and co-workers to make a small contribution, we can extend the reach of our event and make it that much more effective. And who wouldn’t gladly pay $5 to see their friends jump through a hole in the ice?” said Mr. Banerjee.

“If the idea is received well by Lodge guests we hope to make this a truly annual event”, said Ms. Malone. “We see this as a ‘win-win-win’ activity. Our guests have some fun and excitement, the WWF gets some much needed money for the polar bears, and everybody involved gets to feel nice about doing a good deed”.

The Polar Bear Dip-a-Thon is slated to run every weekend up until March 21, the last day of winter. The inaugural dip is set for December 31, 2004. (Photos will be available to the media in early January, 2005.)

Located near Bancroft, Ontario, at the southern tip of Algonquin Park, the Algonquin Eco-Lodge is a year round getaway offering hiking, swimming, canoeing, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and dog sledding. Set in the tranquil forest, on the shores of a private lake, with deer, beaver, moose, and the occasional wolf nearby, the Lodge accommodates 34 people in cozy comfort and is in keeping with the concept of making minimal impact on the environment. Powered entirely with alternative energy the Lodge still provides all the basic comforts such as indoor plumbing, private rooms, and even an outdoor wood-fired hot tub and sauna.

The Lodge is owned and operated by Call Of The Wild, an award winning soft-adventure company specializing in designing trips for those who want to get a real taste of the Canadian wilderness without having to truly ‘rough it’. Call Of The Wild’s owners and guides Robin Banerjee and Maureen Malone have been offering a unique brand of tourism since 1993 and the company has collected awards from the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Canada Travel Awards in Britain.

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For more information and photos please contact:

Mr. Robin Banerjee
Algonquin Eco-Lodge
23 Edward St.
Markham, ON
L3P 2N9
Canada

Tel: 905-471-9453

Web:

• Eco-Lodge www.AlgonquinEcoLodge.com – under “Winter Activities”
• WWF www.wwf.ca/en/PolarBearCentral