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| Due to our growth, the Lakeview Polar Bear Club has become an official non-profit organization as a 501c3. Therefore, please make checks payable to: Lakeview Polar Bear Club, NFP. Everyone who makes a donation with a check or via the secure PayPal link will receive a receipt to include with next year’s tax returns. All donations should be sent to the address listed below. Any donation that you can afford will mean the world to Katy, Sean and Bethany.
All donations, responses or questions can be sent to: |
| With your donations, the Cunningham family will have a chance to pay off much of their medical debt and have a chance for a fresh start. Your donations will also help with the continued medical expenses that the Cunningham's still face. All donations (100%) will go directly to a family in need and are tax deductible. |
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| LAKEVIEW POLAR BEAR CLUB |
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| CELEBRATION OF SHRINKAGE - 2009 |
| The Lakeview Polar Bear Club’s 8th Annual polar plunge was the best event we've had yet. Bethany Cunningham was smiling down on us from heaven as she brought in 58 degree weather and 215 crazy polar bears to join us in the freezing water. Even though the weather was great and the ice was melted, the water temperature was still a very polar bearesque 33 degrees. Donations are still coming in, but so far we have had a great year and should be able to offer substantial help to the Cunningham family. On top of the wonderful weather, the record turnout, and the generous fundraising, we were also blessed with an added bonus of media coverage. The plunge attracted camera crews from ABC, CBS, WGN and a whole gaggle of journalism students from Northwestern. On top of that, here is a piece done by MouthPieceSports. We also were mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, TimeOut Chicago, the Redye and I believe on Q101.9. Most importantly, the event is growing because of word-of-mouth. Therefore, keep up the good work and we all look forward to seeing everyone back again next year. |
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| If you would like to take part in the 2008 LPBC event, or if you have any questions, contact us at: |
| LINKS TO OTHER POLAR BEAR CLUBS: |
| SPONSORS: These fine establishments have supported our cause, now it is our time to support them. Please click on the logos below to learn more about these generous organizations and to lend them your patronage. Almost all of these sponsors are from the Chicagoland area, so get out and support them. |
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| 2009: Making a Difference |
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| Online Donation: |
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| February 7th, 2009 Oak Street Beach Chicago, Illinois Noon (arrive at 11:30am) |
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| Links to past event pages and photos: |
| Contact Info: lakeviewpolarbearclub@gmail.com |
| 2009 Sponsors |
| Sponsor: Ameriprise Financial For more information, contact Scott Minnig at scott.g.minnig@ampf.com. |
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| The Lakeview Polar Bear Club would like to thank its main sponsors for the time and dedication to making the community a better place. With their help, the 2009 Celebration of Shrinkage was our most successful polar bear club event yet. |
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| Media Sponsor: www.Yelp.com Check out www.yelp.com/weekly for weekly updates on Chicago area activities. |
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| To make a donation or learn more about donations, please click on Make A Donation or email us at: lakeviewpolarbearclub@gmail.com. |
| Hanging out on a sunny afternoon. What's that? You mean the water is 33 degrees...yeah right. |
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| The Lakeview Polar Bear Club would like to express our sincere condolences and sympathies to Katy & Sean Cunningham and family. Bethany Anne Cunningham recently passed away and is now resting in the arms of the Lord. In a time like this, the Cunningham’s need our support, prayers and friendship now more than ever. Bethany Cunningham, (www.myspace.com/bethanyannespage) was born at 25 weeks gestation and weighed only 10 ounces. After her birth she developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis which then led to Short Gut Syndrome. Due to Bethany's early arrival, her eyes did not develop fully; therefore, she had two surgeries to re-attach her retinas. A side effect to the surgeries was that she had the lens in her left eye removed. Due to other complications, Bethany spent roughly 17 of the 21 months of her life in various hospitals. Her dad Sean works full-time at a department store and is a full-time student at DeVry. Her mom Katy recently lost her job as a Certified Nursing Assistant due to her commitment to spend time with Bethany at the hospital. Katy and Sean have medical insurance, but Bethany’s condition reached its insurance coverage maximum of $2 million after her first 11 months in the hospital. After that, Bethany was covered under Illinois’ “All Kids” plan. The All Kids plan covers a majority of medical costs, but the co-pays and other bills have left the Cunningham’s in significant debt. While we all feel the pinch of the current economic times, it is during difficult times such as these that we need to go the extra mile and give what we can to help others. |
| Honoring the Cunningham's |
| How You Can Help: |
| Donations: |
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| Katy, Sean and Bethany at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Halloween. |
| Lakeview Polar Bear Club or email: lakeviewpolarbearclub@gmail.com P.O. Box 61 7694 Mobile: 312.307.9527 Chicago, IL 60661 |
| Event Update: |
| The Lakeview Polar Bear Club would like to express our sincere condolences and sympathies to Katy & Sean Cunningham and family. Bethany Anne Cunningham recently passed away and is now resting in the arms of the Lord. In a time like this, the Cunningham’s need our support, prayers and friendship now more than ever. |
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| The LPBC would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the past 8 great years and this includes every person who has made the trip to Chicago, jumped in the lake, sat on the ice, been sprayed down with a hose, donated to the families, joined us at the after party, and generally was a part of this event. We need everyone single one of you to make this work. Also, we would like to thank our sponsors for their support of our event, specifically: Amerprise Financial and Yelp.com. These sponsors donate their time and resources to ensure that this is the Premier polar bear club event in Chicago. The LPBC would also like to thank the companies who donated raffle prizes to help make our after party an enjoyable outing, specifically: AirTran Airways, Allen Brothers, Patagonia, Flora, HBO, Goose Island - Wrigleyville, the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Blackhawks. With their help we have reached a larger audience that we thought possible and in the future we can continue to help out more families like Katy, Sean and Bethany Cunningham. I would also like to thank my extended family: my brother Kevin, my parents Dale and Rose, and all my friends, cousins, aunts & uncles who have made the trip to Chicago to support the insanity. I would also like to thank my beautiful girlfriend, Patricia MacHannaford. Without your support, patience and understanding we couldn't pull this off. Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank the new Board of Directors for the Lakeview Polar Bear Club: Alan Treuthart, Julie Bewley, Patricia MacHannaford, and Rose Marchal. Your support and ideas keep us focused on the big picture and will lead us to bigger and better places. Thank you for being a part of this. |
| Thank You's |
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| Rose Marchal and Julie Bewley working the registration table. |
| Air Temp: 58 F Water Temp: 33 F |
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