Take the Polar Bear Plunge from noon-1 p.m. Jan. 1, 2017, on North Beach in front of the Fajitaville restaurant in Corpus Christi. Proceeds go to ALS Therapy Development Institute. Photo by Steve Hambly
Start your New Year with a leap into the freezing cold waters of Corpus Christi Bay. Join the Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge on Jan. 1 to raise funds for ALS, the fourth year for this ultra icy fund raiser .
The Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge is now in its fourth year. The fundraiser started in 2014, when 200 people rang in the New Year by racing into the crisp water at North Beach. The event brought an $11,173 contribution to the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
Since then, the event has only grown in size. The 2016 plunge had over 250 participants, from age 3 to 74, and raised $15,544.
Organizer Alissa Mejia doesn’t do the Polar Bear Plunge for the thrill or the chill. She does it for her father and others like him who suffer from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive chronic disease of the nerves. It causes a gradual degeneration of the nerves that control voluntary movement, leading to paralysis. The money raised from Polar Bear Plunges around the world is used to help discover a cure.
“ALS is a complex and difficult problem that can’t be solved without taking on a big challenge,” Mejia told Corpus Christi Business News last year. “The Polar Bear Plunge is symbolic of that. It’s a show of support for the people who suffer from this disease. It’s great that the Corpus Christi community is supporting the goal of finding a cure.”
The Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge will be held on New Year’s Day at noon. Join the icy splashdown at North Beach in front of Fajitaville.
To participate in the plunge, register online at polarbearplunge.cc. Registration includes a t-shirt, hot lunch, and drink.
