Hundreds Take Icy Plunge to Help Fund Homes for Families of Wounded Soldiers

Hundreds Take Icy Plunge to Help Fund Homes for Families of Wounded Soldiers

News Desk

By Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk

01.01.11

The annual Brigantine Polar Bear plunge went off with a bang this afternoon with hundreds of people taking an icy plunge into the Atlantic Ocean following a gun salute.

The Atlantic County event drew hundreds more spectators, with numerous participants taking part in an annual costume contest ahead of the midday dip, said organizer John Hand. The event raises money for the Fisher House Foundation — a private-public partnership that builds homes on the grounds of military and Veterans Affairs medical centers so that families of wounded soldiers can live near where their loved ones are hospitalized.

At this year’s event at North Beach, the Brigantine Polar Bear Club was expected to raise some $25,000 for Fisher House, Hand said.