Cold ones for a cause

Photo courtesy of Action Sports Media

Mad Bomber is again taking the plunge to help a princess in need.

The Hayden brewery’s second annual Punks for a Princess fundraiser on New Year’s Day will support training for a guide dog for a local girl with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

It begins with a polar plunge at 11 a.m. from Hayden Lake’s Honeysuckle Beach, followed by a 1 p.m. afterparty at the Bomber with barbecue and loud, live punk music.

“God help the people who walk in and don’t know what’s going on,” says Mad Bomber’s Tom Applegate. “Last year, a golden retriever was crowd surfing around the fireplace.”

Punks for a Princess started in Rhode Island in 2008 as a series of punk-rock concerts to benefit children in need, in memory of a 7-year-old girl who died in a freak flash-flood auto accident. An icy plunge in the Atlantic was added beginning in 2013.

Applegate heard about it through a regular customer who had been involved back East before moving to North Idaho, and they decided to launch their own version. Last year’s inaugural event (video here ) raised $4,200 to help send a 6-year-old girl with leukemia to Disney World through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

This year’s goal is $5,500 for 5-year-old Tru Zakar and her canine best friend, Indy (short for Independence). He not only will help her with everyday activities, from opening doors to retrieving items, but also will be trained to sniff out seizures before they happen.

Applegate is optimistic about hitting that mark.  “This year, we started promoting it a lot sooner,” he says. “There have been flyers all over Coeur d’Alene.

“There’s been a lot more activity on Facebook.  I think there’s going to be a lot of last-minute people showing up.”

About 40 people paid to plunge last year, he says, with another 50 or so on hand to watch. Preregistration for T-shirts is closed for this year, but 30 extras in assorted sizes will be available for $25 at the event.

There will be donation jars at the Bomber, and a portion of proceeds from both beer and food sales will go to the cause. Blue Smoke BBQ will be on hand with the food, while music will be provided by local bands Bird Fight and Smokey Town Villains .

Prizes donated by area businesses also will be raffled. Admission is 21 and older only.