Scott Rogers Get Out file photo Jessie Rutland, left, Ann Farmer, Honeybeth Campbell and Trey Shedd participate in last year's Polar Bear Swim.     Annual swim   What: Ninth annual Polar Bear Swim   When: 2 p.m. Dec. 31   Where: Lake Lanier Olympic Center at Clarks Bridge Park   Cost: $25 contribution   Contact: Connie Hagler, (678) 232-3171 or www.lckc.org

For the ninth year, the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club is starting the new year off with a quick dip into Lake Lanier.

The annual Polar Bear Swim is scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Lake Lanier Olympic Center at Clarks Bridge Park.

The theme for this year's Polar Bear Swim will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 1996 Olympic Games.

"We will have a torch run at 2 p.m. and will light an Olympic cauldron to play up the Olympic theme," LCKC executive director Connie Hagler said.

Each jumper will need to make a $25 contribution to the LCKC and will receive a T-shirt and hot chili. Four hot tubs will be on hand to warm up jumpers from the cold lake temperatures, expected to be in the high 40- to low 50-degree range.

"They (the hot tubs) are warming up right now and by the time of the jump they should be steaming and lovely," Hagler said.

Also, there will be prizes awarded for the best jump and best costume.

The Rev. Vincent Sullivan from St. Michael Catholic Church has recruited other church leaders from the Gainesville area to jump in what LCKC is calling "First Pastors Plunge."

The Rev. Bill Coates will represent First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church Rev. Terry Walton and St. Paul Methodist Rev. Sheila Bookout also will take the chilly plunge.

"Sheila Bookout first said that she was going to jump and so some of us couldn't say no to that," Coates said. "I've never done this before but it sounds like a lot of fun ... we're all going to join hands and jump in.

"We also thought it was such a nice gesture from the club to move the jump to Saturday since the jump would have been on Sunday. We decided to return the gesture."

Outgoing mayor George Wangemann also will be jumping in the event.

"Father Vincent jumped last year and he talked about it as one of those shocking things to do. It has a dangerous feel to it that helps you examine your life, like the start of the new year does, and make sure you're living a life worth living and doing all you can with it," Hagler said.

Jumping will begin at 2 p.m., and participants should arrive between 1 and 1:30 p.m. for registration.