LYNN — The Capano and Sonia families are hosting their annual “Freezin’ for a Reason” polar-plunge event for a worthy cause on New Year’s Day.
The money raised from the event will be donated to the Rally4Ricky Fund to support the Nelson family, whose son was recently diagnosed with infantile spasms.
In August, Rick Nelson and Kristen (Dean) Nelson’s seven-month-old son, Ricky, was diagnosed with West Syndrome, a severe neurological disorder that causes abnormal brain waves, which leads to ongoing episodes of seizures.
The prognosis for children with West Syndrome depends on the underlying cause and how quickly they are treated.
Ricky was treated quickly after showing symptoms, but the cause has not yet been determined.
Ricky has been receiving treatment and is responding well, but needs to check in frequently with his team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital for months, and possibly years.
Kristen and Rick, who are home with their son monitoring his health, said they are grateful for everyone who has reached out and helped them during this difficult time.
“We are blown away with the amount of support we are receiving from the community,” Kristen said.
Rick and Kristen Nelson were both born and raised in Lynn; they recently purchased a home in the city, where they plan to raise their family. Kristen works as a teacher in Lynn Public Schools and Rick works at General Electric.
The couple has supported “Freezin’ For A Reason” and its causes for years, so the Sonia and Capano families said they wanted to do what they could to help Ricky out and support his parents with his medical bills.
“Rick and Kristen Nelson have been part of our core group for “Freezin’ for A Reason” since it started,” Stephanie Speliotis Sonia said. “They have plunged and donated every year. It’s our turn to plunge for them.”
The Sonia and Capano families decided to make the New Year’s Day plunge a fundraising event in 2015, after the Sonia family had been doing it for fun for years.
That first year, the event raised more than $9,000, which was used to purchase a handicap golf cart for Nicholas Capano and other challenged golfers to play at Gannon Municipal Golf Course.
Since 2015, the Sonias and the Capanos have met to discuss and decide on that year’s “reason” for raising funds to help people in the Lynn community; more than $100,000 has been raised from the polar plunge over the past six years.
Funding over the years has gone to numerous community “reasons,” including a new splash pad at the Lynn Special Needs Camp, Homes for Our Troops, the Michele Durgin Scholarship Fund, the Kelly Martin Autism Fund, and Lynn Camp Rotary.
“We keep doing this because we love helping people in our community,” Stephanie Speliotis Sonia said.
The plunge will take place at Nahant Life Saving Station on Jan. 1 at noon.
T-shirts are available for $25 by contacting Stephanie Speliotios Sonia at 781-249-5701, Patti Capano at 781-241-2462, or Lauren Abernathy Phelps at 781-248-1011.
There will also be a fundraiser at Rolly’s Tavern immediately after the plunge. The Capano and Sonia families said they are looking for raffle prizes for that event.
