NAHANT – On Wednesday, communities across the North Shore plunged into the icy waters of the Atlantic, celebrating the start of 2025 and supporting several charitable causes in the process.
There were three different polar plunges that took place, with each event having separate organizers and causes: Short Beach in Nahant, Fisherman’s Beach in Swampscott, and Devereux Beach in Marblehead.
The polar plunge event in Nahant, also known as “Freezin’ For A Reason,” featured more than 300 attendees, primarily from Lynn. George Sonia, one of the event organizers, explained that the tradition started out small 17 years ago, among friends and family. Ten years ago, the group started using the event to raise money for local charitable causes. In 2024, they officially became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Over the years, Freezin’ for a Reason has raised more than $150,000 for various causes.
“The participation is fantastic, [and] it grows every year,” Sonia said. “It’s one of those days that’s just fun … there’s no stress. You want to jump in, you jump in. You don’t want to jump in, you just come down.”
Sonia also expressed gratitude for all the local organizations that help out with the event. Some of these partners include Knights of Columbus, Cal’s News, and Rolly’s Tavern. Following the plunge’s conclusion, it is customary for many of the event attendees to go over to Rolly’s Tavern on 338 Broadway, where auctions and raffles are hosted to help raise additional funds.
Funds are also raised through the sale of t-shirts at the event, and PayPal. For this year’s event, money was raised to support Tracey Friedman, her husband Brian Friedman, and their daughter Cece Friedman, who has tetralogy of fallot, a serious congenital heart defect.
Tracey Friedman, who grew up in Lynn, is currently the executive director of The Haven Project, a Lynn non-profit that helps young teenagers and adults in the community find stable housing. In November, she gave birth to Cece.
Cece, who was born prematurely, had open heart surgery at two weeks old and is currently on the road to recovery. With more open-heart surgeries and specialized care needed in the future, the funds raised from Freezin’ For A Reason will help to alleviate some of those costs for the Friedman family.
While Tracey Friedman is usually on the giving end of helping the Lynn community, through her work with The Haven Project, she is very thankful that the city was able to return the favor when she and her family needed it. “We’re just so, so grateful that [Freezin’ For A Reason] chose us for the proceeds this year,” she said.
While the total proceeds from this year’s event are still being tallied, they have already surpassed $25,000, according to the event’s planning committee. The funds will go directly to the Friedman family. Donations can also be made by going to paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3F3F5P2K9CAFG.
After completing the plunge, Mario Capano, who was also involved with organizing the event, shared his thoughts. “It was a great year, the water was nice and clean, high tide, and not that cold, actually, so I went in twice! We appreciate all the people coming out, and now we head to Rolly’s!”
Meanwhile at Marblehead, Changing Futures hosted its own “Freeze for a Future” Polar Plunge event at Devereux beach. Changing Futures is a non-profit dedicated to advancing research for Cystic Fibrosis. It was founded by a group of Lynnfield-area fathers.
The Swampscott Yacht Club also hosted a plunge of their own at Fisherman’s Beach, with proceeds helping fund a Swampscott Middle School eighth grade class trip to Washington D.C.
Swampscott’s Polar Plunge raised over $10k, with a final amount to be determined later, according to Charlotte Daher De Garcia, who manages the Yacht Club’s social media.
