2016 Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge [photos]
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Scenes from the annual Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Scenes from the annual Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Over 1,100 participants took the plunge on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Over 1,100 participants took the plunge on Saturday. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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After a quick dip plungers return to the shore. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Costumes worn by the Cara Liom Wench Brigade during the Mummer's Day Parade in Philadelphia were used Saturday in the KISS theme group, which raised over $37,000. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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The PiggyPark Plungers line up for a sprint towards the ocean. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Scott Rambo (middle), of the PiggyPark Plungers in his Gene Simmons outfit. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Pennsville Township police officers shown here raised over $50,000. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Mike Gibison of Pennsville Township Police. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Kimberly Cole of Cherry Hill, NJ and Thomas Eagle of West Evert, NJ., are members of the Aloha Ventures group. They raised over $25,000. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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A polar bear-masked person. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Lou Hannon (left) said temperatures on Saturday, Jan 16, 2016. were in the 50s while the ocean water temperature was in the upper 40s. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Crowds arriving at the beach for the 2016 Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)
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Plungers pose for an pre-plunge picture. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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The first plungers are off. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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The PiggyPark Plungers run towards the ocean during the Plunge on Jan 16, 2016. (Bastiaan Slabbers for NewsWorks)
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The rest of the participants follow after the first plungers are off on their way to the water edge. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Divers of Wildwood and Middle Township Police Departments stand waist deep in the surf as they wait for the plungers to hop in. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Scenes from the annual Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Team Red White and Lost, from Philadelphia, gave mixed reactions when asked about the water temperature. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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As she poses for pictures with friends a thin line of blood runs from the nose of first timer Kim Baiada, seen standing here between Joe Seybert and Brian Baiada. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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Plungers return to the boardwalk. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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After a dip in the 48 degree ocean police officers with families warm up in a hot tub, set up by Scott Jarvis (not pictured) outside the Convention Center. (Bastiaan Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
At precisely 1P.M. on Saturday costumed plungers, many dressed as Gene Simmons, Wolverine, Elvis, a bunch of Waldos, made a dash into the chilly Atlantic Ocean in Wildwood, NJ. The annual Wildwood Polar Bear Plunge is held as a fundraiser for Special Olympics New Jersey.
The attendance goes up each year and so does the money being raised, said Lou Hannon, a retired Camden Law Enforcement Officer who co-chairs the event.
Compared to much lower temperatures in previous years Hannon said Saturday’s high temperature was in the 50’s was outstanding. He said the ocean water was probably 48 degrees, which is more than 10 degrees warmer than most years.
Despite the mild conditions a limit of five minutes in the water was enforced, according to Hannon. EMS and dive teams of Wildwood and Middle Township Police Departments were on hand while Coast guard and State Police were out on the water in boats.
Ahead of the plunge 70 members of the PiggyPark Plungers, dressed up like the members of the rock band KISS, gathered under a full size polar bear to tailgate at the parking lot near the boardwalk.
After a dip in the 48 degree ocean, police officers and their families from Medford, Medford Lakes, Lumberton and Marlton found the perfect post-plunge solution. They were seen soaking in a 1,000 gallon, 100 degree, hot tub outside the Wildwood Convention Center.
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