Two Fishers Organizations Team Up for Inaugural Polar Bear Plunge
Writer / Noah Alatza
Photographer / Brian Brosmer
An inaugural Polar Bear Plunge is in the works, which will benefit two local organizations.
The event is being planned and hosted in conjunction with both the Fishers Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI) and Fishers Youth Assistance Program (YAP). It is scheduled for February 11 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the newly developed Geist Waterfront Park.
The YAP originally came to the community in 2014. The organization targets children aged 3 through 17 via referrals from schools. They then identify caregivers for each unique situation and work to bring a vast amount of resources to each family.
Trisha Straus, an early intervention advocate with the YAP, says this event will help to continue developing initiatives, and also continue the hard work the organization puts into the community every day.
“This is the start of something that the community can be involved with for years to come,” Straus says. “This is a collaborative effort between two organizations serving Fishers for the past 10 years, and we decided to do something together to show the community who we are.”
Straus says Dee Chandler, an early intervention advocate, has also been instrumental in helping to organize the event.
“We would like to walk alongside these families for months and not just resolve their situation in a couple days or weeks,” Straus says. “Sometimes it’s as simple as providing resources, and other times I’ve got families I work with through graduation.”
The event is the brainchild of Fishers Fire Chief Steve Orusa, according to Brittany Rayburn, YMI executive director.
“YMI and YAP work together so often in community but we have never done a joint fundraiser, and I think this also provides a great opportunity to raise awareness for both of our organizations,” Rayburn says. “For both of us to participate in one event is truly incredible, and what better place than at the new Geist Waterfront Park.”
Rayburn says coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts will be on hand, and they are also bringing in a DJ. She says the event is something new for the Fishers community, and organization members are hopeful they can make it a yearly tradition.
“We really want this to be a fun time to celebrate YMI and YAP, and all for a good cause,” she says.
YMI operates through Hamilton Southeastern Schools, and provides students in grades five through 12 with volunteer mentors that meet one-on-one with their mentee once per week during the school year.
“This event is really paramount to both of our missions,” Rayburn says. “To rally around youth-serving organizations and any fundraiser is awesome, and raises the profile, which helps a lot of families out there who don’t know we exist. It helps to spread the word and let people know what we do, and we can use this as an opportunity to continue raising that awareness.”
Ticket prices will vary between adults and students, and will include an event T-shirt. All proceeds will benefit both the YAP and YMI, and the organizations will split the funds 50-50.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available by emailing brittany@ymionline.org.
