Businesses and individuals from Central Illinois are invited to join Maui Jim employees to "Dive For Cover" at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 29th, 2008, at Maui Jim's world headquarters in beautiful, tropical Peoria, Illinois.

Last year, 302 divers braved the 36-degree water and Arctic floes to help raise over $81,000.00 to help the South Side Mission meet the needs of the homeless and needy. According to Maui Jim Marketing Coordinator, Dawn Klimaszewski regarding the date of the dive, "For the first time ever in Dive for Cover history, we have the chance to hold our big charity plunge on Leap Day. Could there be a better way to show our enthusiasm for this rare occasion than to leap into a cold, brisk pond to help some folks out?"

The Peoria-based maker of premium polarized sunglasses is once again asking area employers to sponsor employees who are willing to take a dip in the frigid waters off the coast of Maui Jim (true to form, Maui Jim's pond is cut in the shape of a pair of sunglasses). For every employee of theirs that dives, employers are asked to make a $60.00 donation which will be used by the South Side Mission to provide help to homeless women and children.

Each participant will receive a commemorative Dive for Cover sweatshirt and a cup of hot chocolate, along with some dive day goodies. There will also be two special awards given - one award will be given to the company with the greatest participation by their employees as a percent of their total employees; and the other for the "best dressed" dive crew. The age minimum is 18 and event organizers reserve the right to refuse participation for health and/or space reasons.

Klimaszewski has made it her goal is to get all businesses in Maui Jim's "neighborhood" on Allen Road to participate. "Our company was born on the sunny beaches of Maui where the sun is always shining, and the temperatures are always balmy. By leaping into the cold water, it reminds us to never forget the ones who fight the Peoria winters every day who have no shelter to protect them," Klimaszewski said. "We think it also shows that the warmth and hospitality of Hawaii knows no temperature."

Space is limited to the first 500 divers. For details on "Dive For Cover," contact Dawn Klimaszewski at dklimaszewski@mauijim.com or (309) 683-1931, or Phil Newton, South Side Mission, (309) 676-4604.