If you’ve been around Naramata long enough, you know this village runs on a special kind of fuel: people who show up.
Sometimes that looks like volunteering. Sometimes it looks like organizing. And sometimes it looks like a generous, quiet act that makes you pause and think, this is what community really looks like.
That’s exactly why I sat down (virtually) with Lars Bendsen, who together with his wife Jennifer Longhurst, is relatively new to the “hood,” but already very much part of the heartbeat behind the Naramata Polar Bear Fire Plunge, in support of the Naramata Fire Fighters Society.
They didn’t donate for attention. In fact, Lars was clear about that from the start: “This isn’t about showing off.”
It’s about something deeper.
A second home… and a real community
Lars and Jennifer live in Toronto, but Naramata has become their second home. Like many people, COVID played a role in the discovery — an RV trip through BC, a stay at the Inn, and a “wait… what is this place?” moment that turned into years of returning.
Now they’re spending more and more time here, especially with Lars heading into retirement and looking forward to longer stretches in the village.
When Lars talks about what makes a town thrive, for him, it boils down to four simple things:
The fire hall
The school
The church
The pub
If those four are strong, he believes the whole town becomes stronger — safer, more connected, more alive.
It’s hard to argue with that.
Firefighting runs in Jennifer’s family
The heart of their support for the Fire Plunge is personal.
Jennifer’s family has a deep history of service. Her brother Jason served as a volunteer firefighter in his community and now works as a full-time Fire Protection Officer (and still volunteers at the hall).
Her late father, Al Longhurst, began as a volunteer firefighter and later became a full-time firefighter in Newmarket.
Lars described Al as a “guy’s guy” — a carpenter, a big presence, and the kind of person who would jump in to help without thinking twice.
One story stuck with me: Al once jumped into a river to save kids — even though he couldn’t swim. That was just who he was.
Al lived with MS for years, but ultimately passed away from asbestosis, linked to his firefighting career. He’s honoured on a fallen firefighters memorial wall in Colorado Springs, a place Lars described as deeply moving and meaningful to firefighting families across North America.
Their donation to the Polar Bear Fire Plunge was made in Al’s honour, and in support of the kind of service he embodied.
“I don’t want to be the banker for Naramata… I want to be part of it.”
Something Lars said really landed with me.
He doesn’t want to be “the banker” of the village. He wants to be in it — contributing in ways that matter, where he can.
For him, this donation isn’t about property values or being a spectator. It’s about helping keep Naramata a place that’s thriving, not fading.
He spoke openly about what happens when communities age without new energy coming in: people leave, people pass on, and suddenly the places that made the town feel like a town start to weaken.
His goal is simple:
Help keep Naramata alive.
Where should the money go? “Use it wisely.”
When I asked what impact he hopes the donation creates, Lars didn’t point to a single item — because he believes someone always needs something.
His view is straightforward:
If firefighters need equipment, get it.
If the school needs support, give it.
If the church is at a tipping point, help stabilize it.
In short: keep investing back into the community.
He also made it clear that future support matters too — but it needs purpose. Not just “a fun day” (even though he very much enjoys the fun).
Which brings us to the plunge itself.
The plunge: fun, vulnerable, and surprisingly powerful
Lars has done a plunge before and is doing it again this year (with water shoes — apparently bought in bulk for the whole family).
But what he loves most isn’t the cold.
It’s what the plunge does.
It brings people together. You show up in the dark of winter. You do something uncomfortable side-by-side. You laugh, you freeze, you warm up, and you connect.
As Lars put it:
“We’ve been vulnerable together. That brings the community together.”
That’s the whole point.
And this year, we’re making it extra worth it, with mobile saunas on site so people can warm up before or afterwards.
A big thank you… and a bigger welcome
There was one more moment that stuck with me. Lars casually mentioned he had bought a round of drinks for the Naramata Fire Fighters during their annual Christmas gathering at the pub.
That was him. That was them.
Not loud about it. Just quietly showing up — in the way Naramata people do.
So on behalf of the Polar Bear Fire Plunge crew and the Naramata Fire Fighters Society:
Thank you, Lars and Jennifer.
Your generosity helps keep this community strong, connected, and ready — whether that’s for a grass fire in July, a first responder call, or a freezing sprint into Okanagan Lake on January 1st.
Want to join us?
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Alright… I should probably do the plunge this year…”
You should.
Come out. Bring a friend. Donate if you can. Jump in if you’re brave. Warm up in the saunas. Laugh at yourself. Meet someone new.
That’s Naramata.
And that’s exactly what this gift was made for.
See you at the lake. ❄️🔥
Written by Will van Middendorp – Organizer
