CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Starting the new year with a plunge into the Corpus Christi bay, and it's all about finding a cure.
"I started this event in 2015, my dad had ALS and it was a way because there's not a way to cure or really even effectively treat this disease, it was a way to do something to help," Polar Bear Plunge founder Alissa Mejia said.
This is the seventh year of the annual Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge. With 150 people registered and donations going to the ALS Therapy Development Institute, the community is happy to contribute to the cause.
"It's awesome because you know you're supporting a good cause and it's fun,” participant Bess Spoor said. “It's cool to get together with people and you know you're helping people and it's socializing, it's great.”
But for the participants getting in the water this afternoon, it's about more than just cooling off.
“My family's been touched by ALS,” David Cobb said. “I have a brother who's living with ALS right now, so. You know, this is a fun event to raise awareness and funds for a very serious illness."
"When you see the community come together is this show of force, and we have just crossed the ten-thousand-dollar mark for this event,” Mejia said. “That's just a big statement that we care about you and this matters and we're working toward that cure even though it's not here yet."
Cobb's fundraiser for the event raised five hundred seventy-five dollars, making him the top individual donor this year. Whether they have a connection to ALS or just want to show their support, everyone was happy to take part and didn't even have to worry about being cold.
"Other years it's been like, you know, a fearless thing diving into the water. This year, it's going to be awesome,” Spoor said.
In total, Mejia's raised fifty-five thousand dollars through the annual Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge. While her dad passed away in 2018, this event helps make sure the fight to find a cure never stops.
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