Mother Nature forces Polar Bear Dive cancellation

HANCOCK — The fraternity responsible for hosting the Polar Bear Dive during Heikinpäivä has opted to cancel the dive for this year.

“We’ve decided that with the extreme cold weather that’s forecasted, along with the wind chill, that it’d be best if we didn’t have the dive this year,” said Leif Olson, the co-chair for philanthropy of the Hancock-based Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. “We just didn’t think it would be safe for the divers.”

All other planned elements for Heikinpäivä 2019 will go on as scheduled.