4th Annual #PlungeForAPurpose
Update: The 4th Annual #PlungeForAPurpose is complete. We raised $4,570 donations from over 50 donors! THANK YOU to all who donated in honor of this event. You all have beautiful hearts and I can’t thank you enough.
Check out the pictures from those who participated in plunges around the world.
See you next year!
Hello everyone & thanks for being here!
tl;dr
- Want to get right down to business and donate to the cause? You can do so here: https://goo.gl/forms/RkfnFonTZxsWGPSu2
- Four years ago, and every year since, I started a tradition with my family to jump in the Pacific Ocean on Christmas Day and called it the Polar Plunge.
- Last year, in the holiday spirit, those who participated pledged to donate money to a charitable organization in association with #PlungeForAPurpose. We raised $541.
- Why do we do this? To raise money in the spirit of the holidays and to encourage others to give back to a cause important to them.
- Our goal is to raise $5,000
- Current fundraising total as of 12/23: $3,715
- My mother, Sheri Pisani, is the inspiration for this movement.
- You do not need to Plunge to donate! Simply make your donation in honor of the Plunge.
What is #PlungeForAPurpose, you ask? Great question. Let’s rewind the clock to 2015. If you don’t need a history lesson, scroll down to #PlungeForAPurpose 2018 to see how you can get involved.
A Tradition Is Born
Yours truly, Mr. Alex Pisani, was taking part in his wife’s family holiday tradition….a walk on the beach in Santa Barbara on Christmas Day.
This was my first time taking part in this tradition. It was incredible. Growing up in Massachusetts, the holidays generally consisted of sitting as close to the fire as you could without getting first-degree burns. Taking a walk on the beach in December? Count me in!
I’m a pretty strange person and I like to push the limits. So, to bring some of my own energy into the Hill family tradition, I took of my shoes and my shirt and ran straight into the Pacific Ocean. And thus, a legend was born. I dubbed it the Polar Plunge (original, right?) and let the family know I’d be back for more next year.
You need to do something twice to make it tradition, so on Christmas Day 2016, we returned to Hendry’s Beach. However, this time, my brothers joined me. Fast forward to 2017, and more family members joined in the fun.
So you must be thinking….great…so what? You jumped in the ocean and it was mildly cold. It is California, after all!
Well, last year, I decided that we can have fun with our Polar Plunge, but we can also have a purpose. We can give back. On the beach walk, before the Plunge, I came up with an idea, and a challenge, for myself and my fellow Plungers. If you were going to participate this year, I urged everyone to consider doing it in the name of a charitable organization important to them and make a monetary donation.
Last year, we had 5 Plungers and a #PlungeForAPurpose audience. Together, we raised $541.
I knew we were onto something. I wanted to spread the word and get more involved, in Santa Barbara, and around the world. Why? Simply to raise money for charitable organizations in the spirit of the holidays and giving back.
This is where you come in. Join us throughout December and January and help us #PlungeForAPurpose.
#PlungeForAPurpose 2018
Help us raise money for the charitable organization of your choice, and do it honor of #PlungeForAPurpose. Sign up here to participate: https://goo.gl/forms/RkfnFonTZxsWGPSu2
On December 25, 2018, I will be jumping into the icy cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. I’m doing this to raise money for a charitable organization that is important to me. Want to join in on the fun?
To participate, you only need to do two things!
- Fill out this form (https://goo.gl/forms/RkfnFonTZxsWGPSu2), which shares a bit of information with me, so I can know the reach of our efforts & total amount donated.
- Make a donation to the organization of your choice.
That’s it! If you read the history of this event, you know that for the past four years, my family & I go to the beach on Christmas Day and jump in.
If you would like to do the same, and jump into cold water….that’s great! Please be careful and ensure all safety precautions are taken.
If you aren’t near an ocean, dump cold water on yourself, take a shower, look at pictures of things that are really cold, plunge your toilet, etc.
You don’t need to jump into the ocean to participate! You don’t have to do anything beyond the two steps I detailed earlier. In the spirit and tradition of this event, simply make a donation to a charitable organization of your choice and let me know about it by filling out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/RkfnFonTZxsWGPSu2
If you do participate, help us spread the word. Send this blog around, tell your friends, and share your story on social with the hashtag #PlungeForAPurpose.
Please make your donations between December 13 — January 13 and fill out the form so we can set a new record. We raised $541 last year. My goal for this year is $3,000. Let’s do this! (12/17 update: We have already passed our initial goal of $1,000; let’s go for more!).
This year, I’ll be making my donation The Ellie Fund (https://www.elliefund.org/). The Ellie Fund provides critical support services free of charge to help relieve a breast cancer patient’s burden while in treatment.
In 2010, my mother, Sheri Pisani, passed away after a multi-year battle with Breast Cancer. She is the light of my life and the inspiration that powers this worldwide event.
If you have any questions, reach out to me at awpisani@gmail.com
Spread the word on social using this short post below:
I’m participating in the 4th Annual #PlungeForAPurpose to raise money for a great cause!
Read the story: https://medium.com/@lexpisani/4th-annual-plungeforapurpose-d7e528a8d7a9
Pledge your donation: https://goo.gl/forms/RkfnFonTZxsWGPSu2
Thanks for your time and for your participation.
Peace & love,
Alex
