The 16th Annual Greenbrier Valley Polar Bear Plunge Club, a charity event for the non-profit Child and Youth Advocacy Center of Lewisburg will be held Saturday, March 9, beginning at 1:00PM at the Ronceverte Island Park, Greenbrier River, Ronceverte WV.
Club members will raise funds for the Child and Youth Advocacy Center of Lewisburg (CYAC) by splashing down in the Greenbrier River instead of their old meeting site at Blue Bend in the Monongahela National Forest. Due to the Government shutdown, club officials could not file for the mandatory safety permits required to hold the event on federally-owned land. Additionally, Forest officials said a gravel ramp on the newly constructed foot bridge leading to the large stone beach where spectators gather was damaged during a recent flood.
Each year, Polar Bear members seek out sponsorships to plunge and 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to the non-profit Child and Youth Advocacy Center (CYAC) of Lewisburg. The CYAC interviews and counsels sexually abused children in Greenbrier, Monroe, and Pocahontas counties and aids in the prosecution of sex offenders. In the last 16 years, over 500 fearless individuals have earned their polar bear membership cards through and since 2005, over $120,000 has been raised.
Club members from all across West Virginia and seven separate states, including Tennessee, North Carolina and Ohio, have plunged in the yearly event. In 2013, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin proclaimed the event a “special West Virginia tradition,” and the plunge was also named a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 event for 2014. Many plungers also dress up in their favorite family friendly costumes to win prizes.
For more information,
contact the CYAC at 304 645 4668 or visit facebook.com/greenbrierpolarbear
The psychological fear of the cold water is much greater than actually going in…. but that pales in comparison to the fear that sexually abused children in our area live with every moment of the day. On March the 9th, take the Plunge to help protect those innocent children.
Currently, polar bears are roaming the area seeking plunge sponsorships. Businesses may be listed on Polar Bear T-shirts and in the program guide. Plungers who raise at least $25 will receive a polar bear T-shirt. A new component this year will be the ability to register plungers online.
Go to www.childandyouthadvocacy.org and click on “Events.” Fundraising packets can also be picked up at the CYAC or Little Black Box Lingerie in Lewisburg, WV.
This community event is brought to you as a courtesy by Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor in Lewiburg, WV. Please call the number above for more information on the 2019 Polar Bear Plunge to be held this year in Ronceverte on the Greenbrier River.
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