Shivering in Generosity at Eighth Annual Shiver Elk River Event

On a brisk, winter day with temperatures topping out at 16 degrees, the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the eighth annual Shiver Elk River on Feb. 10. The event is designed to bring the community together for a full day of family-friendly winter events headlined by the Shiver Plunge at Lake Orono Park.

While most of the events took place at Lake Orono Park, the day also featured a daylong hockey tournament at The Pit and a waffle breakfast at Lions Park. Events at Lake Orono included a 5K/10K run, curling, dog sled rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and a bean bag tournament.

There also was a heated tent set up for family activities, such as bingo and a coloring contest, and for guests to warm up from the frigid conditions outside.

Yet the cold weather couldn’t keep crowds from flocking in to enjoy the day’s festivities, and that pleased Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbi Rydberg.

As if the plunge were not excitement enough, firefighters from Elk River and Big Lake and a team from The Bank of Elk River warmed up the crowd with a tug-of-war contest over the open hole in Lake Orono.

“That continues to be a ‘must-see’ part of the event,” Rydberg said.

“I was thinking how bad it would be if (I got pulled into the water during the tug-of-war) and had to put another set of dry clothes on and jump in,” Bredlow said.

Well, he didn’t have to. The Bank of Elk River won the contest and the trophy that comes with it.

Read the full article written by Jake Andersen and Jim Boy with Start News.