Photo by Todd & Brad Reed Photography
Each year during the transition from winter to spring, area residents and businesses take pledges and try to raise as much money as possible for the Ludington Lake Jump. In return, that person must run into the icy waters of Lake Michigan at Stearns Park Beach on Lake Jump Day. Many local businesses also help out with hot drinks and food at the event.
The 2026 Lake Jump beneficiary is the West Shore Amateur Hockey Association. Proceeds will support participation in hockey programs for youths who lack financial resources to do so on their own.
2025 marks the 26th year for the Ludington Lake Jump, which began when two local disc jockeys made a dare. Since then, nearly $875,000 has been raised for local charities, such as West Shore Family Support, Sandcastles Children’s Museum, the Rotary’s STRIVE program and the Ludington Area Center for the Arts.
The Childhood Cancer Campaign received over $56,000 from the 2022 Jump. Over $60,000 in proceeds from the 2023 event went to the Youth Advisory Council of the Community Foundation for Mason County. In 2024, the Friends of the Ludington Police raised over $34,000 for their K9 program.
Most recently, over $33,000 went to the four senior centers in Mason County—Free Soil, Ludington, Scottville, and Tallman, a result of the 2025 Lake Jump.
Click here to see the current temperature of Lake Michigan.
Ludington Lake Jump Board of Directors
