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, while in Canada they are associated with New Year's Day.
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In Canada "Polar Bear Swims", "Plunges", or "Dips", are a New Years Day tradition in numerous communities across the country.[1] 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.[2] Suburban White Rock, BC's was founded in 1958, and other suburbs including Port Moody and North Vancouver also hold swims [3] Other locations include Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON, Toronto ON,[4] Clarington ON,[5] 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.
Plunges are now held across the United States. Annual events are held in Seattle (since 1993),[6] New York's Coney Island Polar Bear Club,[7] Lake George NY,[8] Boston (since 1904),[9] and New Jersey.[10] Some, such as Minnesota's [11] are held to raise proceeds for the Special Olympics.
The Plungapalooza event in Maryland, the largest polar bear plunge in the United States, held annually at Sandy Point State Park, raises funds for the Special Olympics.[12] Sponsored by the Maryland State Police, in 2007, Plungapalooza raised $2.2 million and had 7,400 participants.[13] In 2008, an estimated 12,000 people participated.[12]