CCAN'S Polar Bear Plunge !

                 Some of the 200+ people who braved the icy waters ...note the actual ice on the shore !
Chesapeake Climate Action Network held it's 6th annual Polar Bear Plunge to raise both awareness of climate change and to help fund their ongoing efforts to Fight Global Warming--Keep Winter Cold !   CCAN, headed up by founder Mike Tidwell,  works tirelessly educating the public as well as public officials.   This year, Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Prince Georges County plunged to show her support !   Here's a snippet from CCAN's website about the event:

OXON HILL, Md. – Holding signs that said “Keep Winter Cold” and “Save the Polar Bears,” hundreds of DC-area residents plunged into the freezing Potomac River Saturday urging the new U.S. Congress to take real action on global warming. With extreme weather intensifying worldwide, including unusually intense recent snowfall in the U.S. consistent with climate change, participants urged elected officials to embrace electric cars and offshore wind power instead of dirty oil and coal.

So, what does all this have to do with New Leaf Vegan Society, ?   Well, New Leaf provided about 300 cookies and muffins to the hungry masses...over 200 of them !    I baked my buns off for several days, but man...people go through that stuff like crazy !    I used recipes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Veganomicon for Carrot Orange Muffins ( adapted from her Applesauce Oatbran recipe ) Chewy Oatmeal Raisin cookies, and from her Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar some awesome Deluxe Cocoa Brownies and Banana Oatmeal Breakfast cookies.    I also adapted a recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies I found on Vegweb.   Lori Hill of Lori Hill Productions ( green weddings and events and a dynamo speaker ! ) invited New Leaf back ( this is our 3rd year ! ) and encourages me to spread the vegan word with brochures I bring and leave on the table with the baked goods. 
New Leaf's own Jamie plunged for CCAN, and we havent added up his pledges yet, but it looks like we may have made the $ 350.00 goal ( relatives are sending checks, so we're not sure yet ! ).   I ( Dale ) do not plunge...it's WAY too cold for me, but I hold Jamie's robe and take pictures !    Check out Vineet's blog, the Green Vine for a nice slide show of the event !

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