5th Annual #PlungeForAPurpose
Hello everyone & thanks for being here!
tl;dr
- Pledge your donation to #PlungeForAPurpose here.
- What is #PlungeForAPurpose? It’s a holiday tradition, which we started five years ago, to jump into cold water, while making a pledge to donate to the charitable organization of our choice.
- Simply put, we want to give back during the holiday season, and plunging into the icy cold Pacific Ocean draws awareness & inspires others to join in.
- In 2017, we raised $541. In 2018, we raised $4,570!
- 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.
- My mother, Sheri Pisani, is the inspiration for this movement.
- You do not need to Plunge into cold waters to donate! Simply pledge your donation in honor of the Plunge.
- This year, we are planning to Plunge on December 21, 2019 at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Thanks for your support!
Pictures from the #PlungeForAPurpose 2018:
Want more details on#PlungeForAPurpose? Let’s rewind the clock to 2015. If you don’t need a history lesson, pledge your donation here.
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!
In 2017, 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.
In 2017, 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.
To participate, you only need to do two things!
- Fill out this form, 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 would like to Plunge….that’s great! Please be careful and ensure all safety precautions are taken.
You don’t need to jump into cold water to participate! You don’t have to do anything beyond the two steps I detailed earlier.
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 18— January 18 and fill out the form so we can set a new record.
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 5th Annual #PlungeForAPurpose to raise money for a great cause!
Pledge your donation: https://forms.gle/kfPG6TVjWZT3ZbXD7
Read the story: https://medium.com/@lexpisani/5th-annual-plungeforapurpose-c10be9d3f5ca
Thanks for your time and for your participation.
Peace & love,
Alex
