Supervisor and mayor take New Year’s Day plunge
By Barb Pert Templeton
Seeing two local officials wading into the water off the Pearl Beach Pier on New Year’s Day was expected to bring a fun crowd to the water’s edge while also launching a new holiday tradition, the Loony Dook Hogmanay.
As Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson and Algonac Mayor Rocky Gillis made their way into the chilly waters on Jan. 1, a crowd of people, including some who traveled from Port Huron, braved the cold temperatures to witness the unique event.
The group lined up along the dock to cheer on the brave duo as they walked into the North Channel of the St. Clair River just after noon.
The original plan called for a large group of plungers but paperwork required to open the dip to the public stalled so this inaugural year welcomed just the two brave bathers,
“It’s a Scottish tradition that if you jump in the cold water it’s supposed to bring good luck for the next year,” Gillis said during a recent city council meeting. “I guess I’ll do anything for luck and attention.”
Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson, left and Mayor Rocky Gillis, on right, are pictured here after their swim into the St. Clair River with Co-Owner of No Limits Fishing, Blair Hughes.
The original event was conceived in 1986 in Scotland as a joking suggestion by three locals for a New Year’s Day hangover cure. The following year it was decided to repeat the event for charity.
Clay Township Recreation Director Cindy Babisz helped plan the local Loony Dook event and said the north channel water temperature was expected to be about 34 degrees on Jan. 1.
Bringing the unusual event to the local community was actually something a resident suggested to Bryson in November.
Algonac Mayor Rocky Gillis and Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson took part in the first’ Loony Dook’ event in Clay Township at noon on Jan. 1, 2024.
“This started with a suggestion from a resident to our supervisor and we all loved the idea and started to plan,” Babisz said. “However, with the holidays, we quickly ran out of time for scheduling a meeting for details and logistics.”
In the meantime, Bryson announced a challenge plunge to Gillis. The duo has been challenging each other in many creative ways for the past year with each event raising funds or food donations for the community, according to Babisz.
She said the name of the event The Loony Dook Hogmanay is a combination of Loony (short for lunatic) and Dook, a Scottish term meaning dip or bathe. The Loony Dook is an annual event held on New Years’ Day in which people dive into the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth.
In addition to bathers, hundreds of people line-up along the shoreline to watch the annual ‘Loony Dook’ on New Year’s Day in Edenborough, Scotland.
Any donations collected during the event went to No Limits Fishing a nonprofit organization that provides a day of fishing for veterans and persons with disabilities.
“We hope this will become an annual event,” Babisz said. “In regards to the Public Loony Dook Plunge, we will continue to plan for next year. That will allow plenty of time for details and promotion.”
She said in the future the public will need a formal registration, a waiver, and pay a fee to participate. Organizers will encourage teams and costumes and Babisz is already lining up interested sponsors.
Registrants may receive a promotional shirt or hat and they hope to have a warming tent, hot cocoa and other amenities as the event grows.
“We will continue working on the public Loony Dook Clay Hogmanay 2025,” Babisz said.
