The Boys & Girls Club and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth Center will hold its 27th annual Polar Bear Dip at noon Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Snow Pond Center for the Arts, at 8 Goldenrod Lane in Sidney, according to a news release from the center.

Being part of the three-day Maine Pond Hockey Classic gives The Boys & Girls Club and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the youth center a winter festival atmosphere. More than 80 teams in six divisions will compete from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, and finals will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9.

Those who attend can cheer on favorite dippers and teams from the on-ice Players’ Lounge with food and beverages, fire pits and music. They also can enjoy a free massage at the Spectrum Healthcare Partners Wellness Lounge, go ice skating on the community free-skate rink, and commemorate the fun with some event swag from the pop up NLC Ink Skate Shop in the Snow Pond Lodge.

Top dippers will receive prizes for Most Money raised, Best Costumes and Best Dips. Gearing up to compete this year are local restaurant teams from The Proper Pig and last year’s winning team, Silver Street Tavern, Messalonskee High Schoolers, Kennebec Valley Community College and the Colby Football Crew, as well as a Waterville YMCA vs. Kennebec Valley YMCA competition to see which group can raise the most funds.

Dippers will have warm tents to change out of those wet costumes before attending the prize ceremony in the heated Lodge.

All monies raised directly fund the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville’s Kid’s Kitchen, which serves more than 85,000 free, hot, nutritious meals and snacks annually to an average of 200 at risk children daily. Over 65% of these children say this is their last meal of the day. In addition, every weekend 125 families receive a meal supplement backpack through the center’s Weekend Meals Backpack program. Every $5 donation fills a backpack for a family of three for the weekend, according to a news release from the club.

Don a costume, gather a team or dip alone, and don’t forget all the raised pledges, and head to Snow Pond to take the plunge. Those who don’t want to dip can raise funds for the cause and cheer on their crazier cohorts.

To register or donate, visit ClubAYCC.org. People also can raise pledges online by sending friends, parents, teachers, others to the site.

For more information, contact Crista Lavenson, director of advancement, at 872-7092 or clavenson@clubaycc.org.