Synchrony's 11th Doubles Dive Raises Funds for Children's Charities Worldwide

More than 150 Synchrony employees hit the cold water at The Point at Norwalk Cove on March 25, 2026, completing the company's 11th annual Doubles Dive polar plunge to benefit SeriousFun Children's Network and other nonprofit causes.

The Connecticut plunge was only part of the picture. More than 1,000 Synchrony employees across the globe participated this year through local plunges or virtual support, a scale that reflects how far the event has traveled from its origins as a small group of employees willing to brave a New England winter coastline. Since its inception in 2016, the Doubles Dive has raised more than $1.4 million for nonprofit organizations, with SeriousFun Children's Network as its primary beneficiary.

To push this year's total higher, Synchrony committed to matching donations 2:1, turning every contribution into even greater support for children and families in need. That multiplier matters to SeriousFun, which provides free, life-changing camp experiences for children living with serious illnesses and medical conditions from more than 50 countries.

Blake Maher, CEO of SeriousFun Children's Network, spoke directly to what the sustained partnership means for kids who attend the camps. "Synchrony has been an incredible partner to SeriousFun Children's Network," Maher said. "Their continued support helps ensure children living with serious illnesses experience a fortifying sense of belonging, independence, and resilience at camp."

The Doubles Dive has built its cumulative total year by year. At the 2024 edition, the ninth annual event held on February 29 of that year, more than 120 employees including then-President and CEO Brian Doubles dove into the chilly Long Island Sound in 34-degree, windy conditions. Synchrony raised and matched more than $113,000 that day alone, pushing the all-time total past $1 million at that point.

What the cold-water crowd at Norwalk Cove proved again this week is that the Doubles Dive has become one of the more durable corporate charity rituals in the ice-plunge world: a named event, a named beneficiary, a companywide mobilization, and a match structure that gives every donor a reason to give a little more.