New Years Day Polar Plunge Fishermans Beach

The Swampscott Yacht Club Hosts the 9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge at Fisherman’s Beach in Swampscott on New Year’s Day, 2015. The 2015 plunge benefits Maureen Bolognese, Mrs. B to many, as she and her family deal with the challenges of her ALS diagnosis.

This is the Ice Bucket Challenge Super-sized!

On New Years Day, January 1, 2015 the Swampscott Yacht Club will host its 9th annual Polar Bear Plunge. Participants start the New Year in an invigorating and charitable way by plunging into the chilly ocean waters off Fisherman’s Beach at 11:00 am. This year hundreds of hardy, enthusiastic and brave souls will dash into the water to benefit long time Swampscott resident and beloved educator Maureen Bolognese and her family who are dealing with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Their efforts include significant modifications to their family home, mounting medical expenses and purchasing assistive technical devices.

20% of funds raised will go to the Angel Fund which is dedicated to supporting ALS research at UMass Medical Center in Worcester which has been internationally recognized for its ground-breaking work in the fight against this devastating illness. Maureen’s physician and renowned ALS researcher, Dr. Robert Brown, works closely with the Angel Fund.

The Polar Bear Plunge has raised over $70,000 for local charities since it began. Past beneficiaries have included: The Swampscott Library, The Haven Project, The Friends of Swampscott Sailing, My Brother’s Table, The Jared Raymond and Jennifer Harris Scholarship Funds, The Legere Family Education Fund, Journeys of Hope, The Maureen Ingram Scholarship Fund, the Swampscott Education Foundation, and the Whelan Education Fund.

Join us for a brisk, energizing and fun start to 2015. Registration begins at 10:15 a.m. at the Fish House, 425 Humphrey Street, Swampscott with the plunge following promptly at 11. Complimentary hot beverages will be available and T-shirts will be given to the first 150 participants to sign in. Sponsor sheets are available at the SYC website: swampscottyachtclub.org, or by emailing sycpolarbearplunge@gmail.com. The recommended minimum donation is $25

Anyone who doesn’t want to get cold and wet can make a donation by mailing a check payable to the SYC Fund to the SYC at 425 Humphrey St, Swampscott, MA 01907. Please put “Polar Plunge” in memo line. All contributions are tax deductible.