Make-A-Wish^® Idaho

Boise, ID: Make-A-Wish® Idaho will hold the 23rd annual Gebert-Arbaugh Polar Bear Challenge on January 10 at Spring Shores Marina at 11 a.m. This unique fundraiser challenges area do-gooders to plunge into the icy reservoir waters to raise money to grant wishes for local kids who are undergoing cancer treatments, awaiting organ transplants, or dealing with other critical illnesses.

Teams and individuals are asked to collect pledge money through friends, coworkers, and family, and then make good on that pledge by diving into the frigid lake with hundreds of others. There is no minimum donation required to participate. Donors who give $100 or more will receive an event T-shirt, and all proceeds will be used to grant wishes for Idaho kids.

One of those kids is eleven-year-old Zoe of Kuna whose wish is to go to Disney World. Zoe is the face of the 2026 Gebert-Arbaugh Polar Bear Challenge ad campaign and voiced radio ads for the event. She is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. 

 "Wishes truly give so much hope to children like Zoe. Cynthia, Zoe’s mom, said, "It's something to look forward to after all this treatment she has been doing."

The Gebert-Arbaugh Polar Bear Challenge, presented by Corwin Ford, will also feature a costume contest emceed by Nate Shelman of KBOI and DJ ’ed music provided by Scheel’s. Warming tents, coffee, and donuts are available for all participants.  

About Make-A-Wish Idaho   
Make-A-Wish Idaho’s mission is to grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses.  A wish is not a last wish. It is a lasting wish. Make-A-Wish Idaho serves children throughout the state with offices in Boise, Post Falls, and Pocatello. The organization is dedicated to granting every eligible wish and has granted over 2,000 wishes since the chapter was founded. Make-A-Wish Idaho is one of 58 chapters across the United States. Visit idaho.wish.org to learn more about the magic of a wish!