The Brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) endured the vicious Loretto winter cold to help raise money for their philanthropy, St. Jude’s Children Hospital with their 8^th Annual Polar Bear Swim. TKE took on Lake Saint Francis and jumped into the freezing water as their audience watched.

Co-Coordinators Nick Rittle and Andrew Sieber faced challenges while planning the swim. Having to reschedule the event originally planned for February 14^th so that maintenance workers could break the ice did not stop TKE from diving into the lake a week later in hopes of raising money to help the fight against cancer.

To prepare for the swim, the brothers sold $10 tee shirts at basketball games and during the day in Padua Lounge to help raise money and awareness. They also took donations from anyone that would support. TKE raised nearly $1,200 to donate to St. Jude’s, according to President Jake Markley.

“Nick and Drew did an outstanding job at organizing the event, and the rest of the brothers did a great job at pitching in to make sure the swim ran smoothly,” said Markley. “It was freezing, but overall it was a fun event and for a good cause. We are happy to support St. Jude’s and their efforts to fight cancer.”

When asked about the swim, co-coordinator for the event Nick Rittle said he would like to thank the students and faculty for all their support in the swim to help make it so successful. Despite the cold conditions, Rittle said it was all worth it knowing the money raised went directly to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

The event was held on Friday, February 21st at 4pm.