Midcoast cold water dippers were among the 500 from Mount Desert to York who brought warmth to Maine domestic abuse survivors on Sunday in a fundraising event for Finding Our Voices.
 
More than $8,000 was raised for women and child domestic abuse survivors in the Sunday-before-Valentine’s Day event that encouraged dippers to 1) wear yellow (the color of Finding Our Voices) and 2) choose their own dipping place and time, as well as devise their own way to raise money for the grassroots nonprofit. 
 
Participating dippers ranged from two childhood friends calling themselves the Sorrento Selkies and celebrating "the strength of women when they have a purpose," to such established Maine dipping groups as the local Wicked Nippy Dippahs and Salty Sisters, as well as Cold Tits Warm Hearts, Two Maine Mermaids and Cold Water Queers of South Portland and Saltwater Co’s Dip Down to Rise Up in York.  
 
Patrisha McLean, CEO and founder of the Camden-based grassroots nonprofit Finding Our Voices, said, in a news release: “I have been hearing more and more about cold water dipping and the women who do it are always ones I would like to get to know more because they look so healthy and happy and strong, and also bonded to each other. From the minute I started reaching out to the group leaders about our event I have been bowled over by their embrace of both it and our survivor-powered approach to domestic abuse, and also how creative and enthusiastic they were in incorporating the yellow. Many of the groups are already letting me know they can’t wait to dip for us again in an even louder and brighter way next February.”

McLean said it was especially meaningful for the domestic abuse awareness event to be happening on Super Bowl Sunday, which traditionally has the most domestic violence of any day in the year.
 
Betty Boucher and Rachel Earl jumped into the ocean off Big Tree Beach on Islesboro for “Freezing for Fun(d)s, and Alison Thibault’s Salty Sisters dipped at State Beach on Vinalhaven. In a local – and clothed – version of the movie Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Erja Lipponen sawed out a bigger-than-usual hole in a frozen Union lake, fired up her Finnish sauna and welcomed a dozen alumni of her Wander Woman Tours to steam, dip, and steam and dip again, wearing yellow sunglasses, and in the case of Kerry Hadley, a yellow feather boa.
 
Maine Sea Sisters and Flock of Seagals were two of the newer groups wearing yellow for Finding Our Voices, at Lincolnville Beach and Rockport Harbor respectively. Patty Libby of Maine Sea Sisters said when she saw the logos of the dipping group participants on the Finding Our Voices event page, her sister Maria and friends she sometimes dips with said, “We gotta get our butts in gear". They gave themselves a name and her son Tilson, who is in marketing, dashed off a buoy-themed logo. She said, "Now we have these connections to other cold water groups that we didn't know existed, and are learning things like, 'Oh wow, you can actually dip at night!'  It is really neat to know that wherever you are in Maine you can find other strong, powerful women to dip with.”

 
Finding Our Voices is Maine survivors creatively and boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse one community and conversation at a time. In addition to its bold awareness campaigns featuring the photo portraits of 45 Maine survivors aged 18 to 84 and including Governor Janet T. Mills it provides a host of programs to victims including financial assistance, pro bono dental care, healing retreats, and online support groups. For more information visit https://findingourvoices.net