The drop was farther than he expected and the water temperature was initially cool, but John “Shimmy” Shemansik had been through worse.

A 16-year cancer survivor, the Summit Hill resident was the first volunteer in the dunk tank Monday during the 16th annual Zoostock in Lansford.Held at the Sports Zoo/Halftime Sports Bar, the event raises money for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.“The American Cancer Society did a lot for me when I was sick and I'm happy to give back my time to support such a great cause,” said Shemansik, who battled Sarcoma as a Panther Valley High School student, said. “The water is cold when you first get in, but I'd say it settled to around 70 to 75 degrees. It's comfortable.”For more on Zoostock, check out Tuesday's Times News.