SWAMPSCOTT — More than 100 people are expected to brave freezing temperatures and take the polar plunge at Fisherman’s Beach to kick off the new year.
The Swampscott Yacht Club will host the 12th annual Polar Bear Plunge on Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. Registration is at 10:30 a.m. at the Fish House, 425 Humphrey St. The town’s toughest residents are expected to run into the ocean, with proceeds benefiting two local families.
The polar plunge has raised more than $100,000 for local charities since its inception and organizers aim to raise $10,000 this year. The first 100 people who register and make the recommended minimum donation of $25 are guaranteed a T-shirt.
Neil Donnenfeld, a member of the Swampscott Yacht Club board of governors, said the event is “an extraordinary showing of community spirit that brings people out on New Year’s Day.”
“To watch people racing into the Atlantic Ocean when the water temperature is probably around 40 degrees is very exciting and it’s a great way to ring in the new year,” Donnenfeld said.
The first beneficiary is Susan Balleza, a mother of four, who has been a quiet and dependable volunteer for the town. She was the primary landscape designer of Howland Park, located at the top of Monument Avenue, and has offered her professional expertise on other sites throughout the Olmstead District, according to her gofundme page.
Balleza has been suffering from a serious case of Lyme Disease that mimics symptoms of ALS, and is paralyzed from the neck down, unable to speak. Her medical expenses have her family in need of help, according to the Swampscott Yacht Club.
“She is a beautiful person, who, without fanfare, has made our town a more beautiful place,” the Swampscott Yacht Club wrote.
Funds are also being raised to benefit the family of Jennifer Hamilton. Hamilton succumbed to breast cancer earlier this year and left behind two elementary-aged children — proceeds will go toward their college fund.
Jennifer Shaughnessy, of Swampscott, said Hamilton was an amazing friend and person, someone who was known for her smile.
“She was just really sweet,” Shaughnessy said.
Mike Hartmann, one of the original organizers and a veteran of the plunge, said the event started after the idea was discussed among Yacht Club members. Thirty people participated the first year, and the event has taken off since then, drawing 100 to 200 people annually.
“Most of the people who do it, I think, enjoy it,” Hartmann said. “My advice is to keep your feet and hands warm beforehand, run in quickly and take a dive in and get back out. Get it done quick unless you love the cold water.”
Bill Sullivan, commodore of the Swampscott Yacht Club, also had some advice for those planning to take the plunge. He dashed into the water for the first eight years of the event.
“Don’t go in slow,” he said. “It’s like taking off a Band-Aid.”
Despite the cold, he said the plunge is a lot of fun.
“It’s exhilarating,” Sullivan said. “It’s a real fresh start to the new year.”
