Calvin's president to jump in Seminary Pond

Summary: Calvin College President Gaylen Byker will jump into the "Sem Pond" on Calvin's campus on Friday, February 12, 2010. The Calvin College community raised more than $12,000 for Living Water International (LWI), enough money to submerge President Byker, his cabinet, the college chaplain and the director of campus safety.

At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, February 12, 2010, Calvin President Gaylen Byker and a few of his colleagues will join hundreds of students for this year's Sem Pond Jump--an annual tradition where Calvin folks jump into the icy waters of an on-campus pond near the Calvin College Theological Seminary. Byker and other administrators are jumping because Calvin students raised more than $12,000 to support a clean-water initiative in Uganda.

At last Tuesday's Regathering (Calvin's annual kick-off to second semester) the Calvin community was issued a challenge to raise $12,000. That amount is enough to provide an entire school in Uganda with fresh water. President Byker and other administrators at Calvin agreed to jump in the Sem Pond if the goal was met. (The event is part of Calvin's uKnight Week, www.calvin.edu/alumni/uknightweek.) ( http://www.calvin.edu/alumni/uknightweek.) )

This week the Calvin College community raised $12,265 for Living Water International, a nonprofit under the direction of Calvin alumnus '83 Mike Mantel. For more information on LWI, visit www.water.cc.

President Byker will be joined in the pond by Bill Corner, director of campus safety, Mary Hulst, college chaplain and Paul Ryan, a worship leader. The cabinet, including Claudia Beversluis, provost, and vice presidents Russ Bloem, Henry De Vries, Ken Erffmeyer and Shirley Hoogstra will also be jumping into the icy waters.

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Matt Kucinski
Media Relations Manager
Calvin College
msk23@calvin.edu
616.526.8935 (office)
616.307.7429 (cell)
Received on Wed Feb 10 10:00:25 2010