Dear John,
A few weeks ago, I was with Greta Thunberg outside the Supreme Court. Her presence was electrifying. Her call for radical climate action was deeply compelling. She’s absolutely right that extreme circumstances require extreme activism.
And with President Trump announcing his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, I’m feeling more radical than ever.
In that spirit, I want to ask you to participate in the most “extreme” event of the year that we organize at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. It’s our 15th annual “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge. It’s our most inspiring, noisy, fun, and darn-right effective event of the year. (And pssst, you don’t have to go all the way into the water!)
Heed Greta Thunberg’s call for radical action by walking or running into the icy cold Potomac River with us this January. Join our 15th annual “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge!
As always, we’re holding this event along a little beach at National Harbor, on the Potomac, just downstream of the White House. More than ever, our national leaders need to hear the message: Save the polar bears. Save the humans. Save our everything. Keep winter cold.
We just need your help. Please commit right now, as the holidays approach, to doing a good deed in the New Year. What does it involve? Nothing more than a fun trip to the beach on January 25, a Saturday. And yes, that split-second walk into the water. (You can go all the way in or just dip your toes. Your choice.)
We provide the coffee, donuts, changing tents, and a big party afterwards. You just provide an hour or so of your time sending emails to your loved ones before the event and asking them to sponsor you. It's just like an AIDS walk or a breast cancer run. You do something, well, interesting, and your closest and dearest donate a few dollars to CCAN in your name.
Join us for the 15th annual “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge on January 25, 2020. You’ll have a ball — I promise — and you’ll help us raise funds right next in Congress' backyard on the Potomac River. Greta would be proud of you.
Here’s how it works:
- Go to www.keepwintercold.org and click on the button that says: “Take The Plunge.” Register as an individual. Or you can create a team of friends to plunge with you! Ask friends, family, and everyone you know to support your plunge.
- Our Fundraising Guide makes it easy to get started and keep yourself on track to meet your fundraising goal. This social media tool-pack will help you take your outreach to the next level.
- Come to National Harbor on Saturday, January 25th at 10:00am in your finest plunger gear (costumes encouraged!) to join hundreds of dedicated climate activists as we run, scream, plunge (or dip) into the icy Potomac River, for a great cause. Then join us for the best after-party of the season at McLoone’s Pier House, right there at National Harbor.
Last year’s Plunge raised over $145,000, an all-time record. This year, our goal is to beat that, and raise $180,000 - we’ll need everyone’s help to do that!
We will face some huge challenges in the months ahead. But we can't lose sight of the big picture: we need to pursue ambitious climate action. Fast. By plunging for CCAN, you become part of the effort to put our region on the path to a clean energy future.
If you have any questions, feedback on the new website or ideas to share, our new Plunge Master, Barbara Briggs would love to talk. You can reach her at: [email protected] or cell: 202-656-9458.
Thank you for all that you do! I look forward to seeing you on the Potomac on January 25,
Mike Tidwell
Executive Director
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
P.S: Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished so far this year because of you.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:
The “Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act” was signed into law by Mayor Muriel Bowser last January. Hands down, it is one of the strongest climate bills in the country. It mandates 100% wind and solar electricity for DC by 2032 while creating a novel “green bank” paid for by a fee on fossil fuels.
VIRGINIA:
It has been a non-stop year of battling fracked gas pipelines in Virginia, with multiple victories and setbacks as we have fought them in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. We are now preparing our biggest lawsuit yet in the hopes of stopping these pipelines once and for all! We also worked throughout the year to promote our signature legislation, the Virginia Alternative Energy and Coastal Protection Act (VCPA) -- which we're now on track to pass this spring.
MARYLAND:
Together we passed the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Act, which mandates 50% renewable electricity by 2030 with a plan to get to 100% by 2045. It creates 20,000 solar jobs in the state and will reduce carbon pollution equal to taking 1.2 million cars off the road. It also promotes fairness and equity by investing $17 million in clean energy companies owned by women, veterans and people of color.
