Polar plunge partnership to help local charities

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Businesses and residents across Bonneville County donated to a couple of non-profit foundations during 'the Polar Plunge' at the Club Apple Fitness Center on Saturday.

The charities who benefited from the event were the Idaho Falls Rescue Foundation and the Shannon Wilker Foundation, both based in Idaho Falls.

Representatives at the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and Club Apple have been planning this fundraiser for a couple months.

“Drawing awareness to these two amazing organizations, will continue to help donations down the road,” Marketing and Communication Director Larissa Hale said.

The Idaho Falls Rescue Mission mainly helps the homeless population through rescue, recovery and restoration. Their volunteer coordinator Jolene Conner said the event was a success.

"This has just been such a great event and we love Club Apple and Kate for coming up with this because it really brings awareness to an issue that we have in our community," Conner said. "Nobody really thinks about a lot of our homeless population actually live in their cars and so you don't really see them."

She said these events not only they raise money for the foundation and mission, it also helps the community become more aware that there is a resource for people in need.

The other foundation, the Shannon Wilker Foundation, focuses on providing resources to people who are currently going through cancer treatments. Shane Wilker started the foundation after his wife Shannon passed away from breast cancer in 2011.

"(We provide) gas cards or grocery cards to families that are struggling, who are taking treatments right now,” Wilker said. "We also will help them be able to pay for some of their medications that insurance on our coverage. So anything like this helps towards making some of those payments that insurance doesn't cover."

A couple of medical providers in the area made a generous donation during the polar plunge.

"We just had, Brian Zeal and KC from Mountain View and Idaho Falls Community Hospital say that they will each match up to $1,000 for every dollar donated for this event," Club Apple Membership Coordinator Kate Long said.

The donations made by medical providers raised more than $3,000 dollars. The Idaho Central Credit Union also made a generous donation to the charities.

"There are so many amazing people who are just here to support these wonderful charities. I love this community. I love that this community supports one another and I love being a part of it," Long said.

"I just felt like we just have the best community in the world today. I just love that everybody showed up and they are so excited to help," Hale said.

If you were not able to attend the polar plunge on Saturday, you can still donate to either foundation directly, or by contributing to the cause through Club Apple.

If you want to donate to the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, you can donate here.

For anyone wishing to donate to the Shannon Wilker Foundation, donations can be issued on their website.