Food, Fun, and More in Chicago | Jump into Lake Michigan in Frigid January to Help Chicago's Struggling Families!

For years, the people of Chicago have participated in a thrilling and heartwarming annual event—the Polar Plunge—organized by the non-profit Chicago Polar Bear Club (CPBC).

Every cold January, Chicagoans head to the icy shores of Lake Michigan, change into summer swimwear, and rush into the freezing water together. You might wonder why so many people would willingly subject themselves to such a frigid challenge. But while it’s a chilling ordeal, the story behind it is truly heartwarming.

The Polar Plunge has been held since 2002, with the goal of helping families in Chicago facing hardships. Through this charitable challenge, funds are raised for struggling families in the city.

One of the families assisted by the Polar Bear Club is that of Sharon Rutledge, who lives with her three grandsons—Louis (17), Robert (14), and Andre (10)—in northern Chicago. Nine years ago, Sharon gained full guardianship of her grandsons and has been caring for them ever since.

Sharon was already retired when she became a guardian and faced medical difficulties; both she and her grandson Andre suffer from illnesses. She relies solely on Social Security and a small allowance to support herself and her three grandsons. Additionally, she faces the challenge of needing to expand her apartment, with expenses rising sharply. The needs of all four far exceed what Sharon can afford, but she has not given up.

Moved by Sharon’s dedication and her efforts to care for and improve her grandsons’ lives—including an incredible successful effort to move from homelessness into a stable new home—CPBC selected Sharon’s family as one of their aid recipients. Your contribution can also help ease this family’s burden.

CPBC (formerly LPBC - Lakeview Polar Bear Club) was founded in 2001. Since then, every January, CPBC gathers a group of the most fun-loving people to do something crazy and generous in the cold weather. More specifically, they jump into the frigid Lake Michigan—wading, stumbling, walking, or running—to raise money for needy families in the Chicago area.

The predecessor of CPBC, the Lakeview Polar Bear Club (LPBC), was founded in 2001 when Brian Marchal, a newcomer to Chicago, decided to join a polar bear club and jump into Lake Michigan, thinking it would be a great way to meet people and have fun. Unfortunately, in 2001, most polar bear clubs didn’t have websites, and poor Brian couldn’t find a club to join. So, he decided to persuade a large group of friends to go to the lake and jump in on New Year’s Day 2002. It turned out Brian wasn’t very persuasive. Thus, on January 1, 2002, when three people jumped into Lake Michigan, LPBC was humbly born.

A few weeks after the first plunge, Brian heard that one of his cousins needed a lung transplant. The family was not wealthy, but the Marchal family was quite large. So he came up with an idea: organize a polar plunge event to raise funds for his cousin. If they gathered all their family and friends, they could raise enough money to help his cousin and their family. Plans began immediately, and on January 25, 2003, LPBC held their first charity fundraiser.

Of course, if we know families facing financial difficulties, then everyone likely knows someone struggling to make ends meet. Whether due to unemployment, illness, accidents, homelessness, or any other situation, everyone has someone in their life who needs help. Following the 2004 plunge, the Polar Bear Club decided to open the event to all past donors and polar bear members, allowing them to nominate a family for the club to assist. That was the year the Polar Bear Club truly began to take shape.

A few years later, the Polar Bear Club realized that the vision of helping others had expanded from the Lakeview community to the entire city of Chicago itself. Therefore, the club officially changed its name to the Chicago Polar Bear Club, now known as CPBC—the name we know today.

However, due to the pandemic, people cannot gather for events this year. But the pandemic has not dampened the human spirit, and isolation cannot stop the Polar Bear Club from moving forward. So, in this special year, you can participate in the Polar Plunge challenge for free, right from the comfort of your home!

In January 2021, you can choose the most suitable way at home to do something involving cold water and ice: take a cold shower, soak in an ice-cold bathtub, or have a friend pour a bucket of ice water over your head... And don’t forget to wear your swimsuit or a sexy bikini!

CPBC is also looking forward to returning with us to the real Lake Michigan in 2022 for the actual Polar Plunge challenge. If you participate in the in-person plunge, there will be a registration fee. If you plan to join as a group of 10 or more, please contact CPBC for a special group rate. And if you donate $100 or more in 2021, you can win free entry for next year.