Teams compete in a keg roll during the Arctic Challenge at Bent River Brewery (KBUR/Meghan D’Souza).
Bent River Brewery hosted the Arctic Challenge in downtown Burlington on Saturday.
The idea was that teams would complete five tasks in blustery winter weather to earn their medals. The fee to participate was donated to each team’s charity of choice.
The weather didn’t work with the planned activities. Instead of providing the snow desired for some games, Mother Nature warmed things up.
Standing with his team, the Ice Holes, Bruce Gorrell wore shorts over a pair of running pants. He joked, “I changed my outfit and wore my shorts. I was going to wear my jeans, but it’s too hot.”
The Ice Holes, named after their affinity for ice fishing, chose to donate to the American Heart Association.
When the team — Gorrell, his son Neil Gorrell, Steve Libben, Winston Jones, and Nat Stoner — signed up, they had visions of throwing snowballs. However, Libben said they lucked out with the weather.
Without bone-chilling temperatures, snow, or ice on the ground, teams engaged in a friendly competition and completed in a beer mug relay, keg roll race, water balloon toss, (not so) polar bowling, and a dodgeball-esque water balloon fight.
Eight teams participated and money raised from the event went toward their chosen charities, which included Kayla’s Cupboard Food Pantry, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The American Liver Foundation, Arts in the Armed Forces, Des Moines County Humane Society, Alzheimer’s Association, along with the Along with the American Heart Association.
Spectators also contributed to the cause. Bent River Brewery donated $1 for every pint and mug sold during the event to the charities and 10% of the food sales went to the winning team’s charity.
