11 years later, still FREEZIN’ for good REASONS

Published 2:22 am Thursday, February 1, 2018

By CHRISTOPHER SMITH

Volunteers helping with Cancer Freeze have been running around all week trying to get things ready for this weekend’s events.

“We have been really busy just trying to make sure everything is in place and everything runs smoothly!” Cancer Freeze co-founder Jennifer Davidson said.

In 2017, the organization raised $48K for the six recipients they sponsored. They haven’t set goals in the past, but fundraising totals have grown each year.

Meet this year’s recipients.

“We don’t really try to set a fundraising goal,” Davidson said. “You can’t put God in a box, we just hope he blesses us.”

Cancer Freeze started as “Freezin’ For a Reason” when founder Caleb Davidson challenged his friend Brad Norris in November 2006 to water-ski in cold water. The first Cancer Freeze was held in 2007 and each successive year. And each year it’s gotten bigger.

Here’s the full schedule

The forecast calls for highs near 60 Saturday, but the lake waters will still be icy for those who take to the water. For those who would prefer to stay dry and warm, there’s plenty to do.

Late Wednesday, there were already 168 people registered to walk or run in the 5K, which takes participants around Lake Jackson.

This jelly cabinet will be auctioned, and was built with reclaimed wood stamped “Lockhart, Ala.,” which means it is from the early 1900s. It is among the items to be auctioned Saturday.

This year’s auction, which begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, has several unique items.

A pine jelly cabinet would be of interest to long-time residents and history buffs. Charles and Linda Rusell donated reclaimed wood from the Franklin Ferguson sewing factory owned by Seymour Gitenstein. The wood is stamped Lockhart, Ala., on the interior, which means the wood was cut in the early 1900s. John and Tabitha Coverstone fashioned the piece.

Ruckel Properties Inc. donated a three-night, four-day stay in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and there are countless items in between, including a David Fleming knife, and a bread bowl made from yellow pine.

“We ask people to donate things that they make that we can auction off,” Davidson said. “There are a lot of talented people in Covington County so we have been blessed to have a lot of people donate.”

The organizers are expecting 3,000 people to attend their event this Sat., Feb. 3.

Davidson said that they are in need of people to bring chili for the Chili Cook-off event, which begins at 11 a.m. To enter, email jennifer@cancerfreeze.org, Facebook message Jennifer Davidson or call Davidson at 334-470-0491. There is no fee to enter.