What is Frozen Gore? (and how all this started way back in Jan. 2009)

When the thermometer hovers around -40F for weeks at a time (that's 40 degrees BELOW zero), and the ice fog is so thick you can make snowballs out if it, the human mind often begins to wander. This can be both a good thing, and a bad thing. Such was the case in Fairbanks, Alaska, as we rang in 2009. Since Fairbanks, Alaska, is the official ice carving capital of the entire universe (although rumor has it Pluto is not far behind), the idea seeped into the mind of local businessman Rudy Gavora on a bone chilling -46F day in early January. For the moment, we'll call that... "a good thing." Rudy picked up the phone just to bounce the crazy idea off another longtime Fairbanks businessman and friend, Craig Compeau. Now that is what many might consider, “a bad thing."

Within 15 minutes, a local "Global Freezing Contest" was organized, where the first place prize was 300 gallons of heating oil, and second place was a heated car seat.

Local residents visit the 10 businesses that all "chipped in" (sorry), to build the sculpture and they guess how much colder this winter (2008-2009) in Fairbanks will be than the winter that Al Gore was born (1947-1948). A well deserving local charity was chosen, the Presbyterian Hospitality House; a really great organization dedicated to getting Fairbanks’ troubled youth off the streets and into a warm, safe environment. In January, getting off the streets in Fairbanks could be... no, IS a matter of life and death, Compeau realized, and so the Frozen Gore idea seemed like a perfect fit.

It all seemed a bit ironic this group could use Al Gore to keep kids in the coldest city in America from FREEZING to death. The organization had just recently announced they were low on blankets, so it just kept getting better, Compeau thought. We'd tie in a blanket drive to the fund raiser. It was like it was "meant to be."

Within 24 hours, the renowned sculptor Steve Dean was chipping away at 10,000 pounds of block ice, a website was being set up, and the rest is... well, many say twisted!

The bottom line is that this event is all done in fun, and the really important part is that people in Fairbanks that desperately need help are going to get it.

Please consider making a donation, of $5, $10, $100, or whatever you can afford to this worthwhile cause. You can find out more about the PHH at their link on this website.

-Craig Compeau

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