This October, our Town Hall brought together a powerhouse lineup of speakers, including Emily Kubik, Elodie’s mom and EBRP board member, Kristan Khitikan, Plunge for Elodie co-chair and co-creator, Annie and Patterson McKenzie, EB advocates and Seattle Plunge Leaders, and Allison McGettigan, EBRP’s Community and Operations Director. Together, they highlighted the profound impact of the Plunge for Elodie, its role in spreading awareness and raising funds to cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), and how easy it is for YOU to get involved!
Emily shared the journey of her daughter Elodie, who was born in July 2016 and diagnosed with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB) soon after.
“The number one thing I wanted to do was help cure this disease and do my family’s part in that process,” Emily shared.
Emily’s childhood friend Kristan, upon asking how she could help, soon became the driving force behind the Plunge for Elodie - with the goal to help Elodie and find a cure for EB.
The Plunge was designed as a family-friendly fundraiser that has since grown into a powerful global movement. Emily emphasized its huge impact on both Elodie’s quality of life and the broader effort to fund life-saving EB research.
Driven by the desire to help Elodie, Kristan co-founded the Plunge with a $15,000 fundraising goal in mind. She shared, “We never thought we’d get to it, and the next thing I knew, we were crushing our goal.” The inaugural Plunge in Wellesley, MA saw over 100 participants, along with local media support. Now, the worldwide phenomenon has raised over $2.5 million. New plunging methods—such as virtual plunges, cold plunges, and even indoor pool plunges—allow participants from all backgrounds and locations to join in the fun and make a splash!
Nine-year-old Patterson, who also has RDEB, joined the conversation with his mom Annie to share their experience with the Plunge. After Patterson was born, Patterson’s family strived to become awareness advocates and fundraisers for the EB community. They created their own non-profit organization, Pursuit for Patterson, with the goals of not only supporting research but also supporting EB families in need. Due to the pandemic, Pursuit for Patterson in person events had taken a pause. In 2023, Annie was eager to get back into doing live events and was able to join the first Seattle Plunge hosted by the Vedders.
Now, Patterson and Annie are leaders of their own Seattle Plunge and have rallied hundreds of friends, schoolmates, teachers, nurses and more to join the plunge and support the fight against EB
Getting Involved: Tips & Tricks
We welcome everyone interested in hosting their own Plunge to get involved in whatever way works best for them! If you’re not near an ocean or lake, there’s no need to worry – the Plunge is all about creativity. Past participants have taken the plunge using fire hoses, indoor pools, ice buckets, and more!
To help make your Plunge a success, the EBRP team provides a Plunge Leader Toolkit, complete with email templates, waivers, flyers, and other helpful resources. Our team is also available to support you with any questions or logistical needs, such as obtaining permits or brainstorming sponsorship ideas. Allison will be holding bi-weekly office hours to answer any questions you may have!
This year, our goal is to raise $600,000. While we encourage all participants to fundraise and bring together as many supporters as possible, there is no minimum fundraising requirement – every effort makes an impact, and raising awareness is just as vital!
Plunge Leaders are also welcome to personalize the name of their Plunge. Here are some examples for inspiration:
- The Plunge for Elodie
- The Plunge for Elodie – In Honor of [Name]
- The Plunge for [Name]
- The Plunge for EB
The October Town Hall showcased the extraordinary spirit of the Plunge for Elodie community and its commitment to curing EB, one splash at a time. We hope to see you all at a Plunge event in 2025 and please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any questions.