Polar bear plunge
Encyclopedia
A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

, while in Canada they are associated with New Year's Day.

Canada

In Canada "Polar Bear Swims", "Plunges", or "Dips", are a New Years Day tradition in numerous communities across the country. Vancouver, BC's annual Polar Bear Swim Club has been active since 1920 and typically has 1,000 to 2,000 registered participants, with a record 2,128 registrants plunging into English Bay in 2000. Registration is not enforced and the actual number of swimmers may be significantly higher. Estimates of the number of observers are typically up to 10,000. Suburban White Rock, BC's was founded in 1958, and other suburbs including Port Moody and North Vancouver also hold swims
Other locations include Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON, Toronto ON,
Clarington ON, Montreal QC, Halifax NS, Prince Edward Island, and St. John's NL. In Yellowknife NWT, the "Freezin for a Reason" plunge is held in March after the spring thaw.

United States

Plunges are now held across the United States. Annual events are held in Seattle (since 1993),
New York's Coney Island Polar Bear Club
Coney Island Polar Bear Club
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States. The club was founded by famed health advocate Bernarr McFadden in 1903...

,
Lake George NY,
Boston (since 1904),
and New Jersey. Some, such as Minnesota's are held to raise proceeds for the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

.

The Plungapalooza event in Maryland, the largest polar bear plunge in the United States, held annually at Sandy Point State Park
Sandy Point State Park
Sandy Point State Park is a Maryland state park located at Sandy Point, at the western end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The park is at the site of a former ferry landing that served the Chesapeake Bay Ferry System...

, raises funds for the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

. Sponsored by the Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...

, in 2007, Plungapalooza raised $2.2 million and had 7,400 participants. In 2008, an estimated 12,000 people participated.

External links

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