Heart of the Hamptons to Hold 21st Annual Polar Bear Plunge on December 14th

Heart of the Hamptons is pleased to announce the most highly anticipated local fundraiser of the year, the Polar Bear Plunge. Hundreds of plungers will gather – often in festive costumes – to jump into the chilly water of the Atlantic Ocean to help support local people in need.

Hosted at the world-famous Cooper’s Beach in Southampton Village on Saturday, December 14th at 9:30am. All plungers will receive a coveted Polar Bear Plunge hat. Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for a child in need this holiday season.

This is the most fun you will have this winter! Plungers come in festive attire and compete in the annual costume contest.  Hot refreshments are provided after the plunge by The Golden Pear, Shippy’s, 7-11 and local chef Jack Formica.  Holiday tunes will be pumping by DJ Rah-g-Raj and even Santa himself has been known to make an appearance.

The 2023 Plunge drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 800 people and went viral thanks to a drone video by Joanna Steidel of Hamptons Drone Photograpy. News outlets around the globe picked up the footage.  Since the first Polar Bear Plunge in 2004, the event has raised almost $3 million to support Heart of the Hamptons and its programs, which offer food, clothing, and assistance to over 8,000 individuals, including children, families, senior citizens, and veterans. In the past year, Heart of the Hamptons has given out more meals worth of groceries than any year before.  To date they have provided 433,079 meals to families struggling to get by.  Your support can help provide meals for kids when school is out session, send a cooked meal to a homebound or isolated senior, buy an instrument or sporting equipment for a local student, pay costly medical bills for a sick neighbor, or simply brighten the holidays for a family with little to celebrate.

Those who would like to participate can sign up and collect pledges of support from sponsors (friends, family, co-workers, etc.), donate, or learn more at https://heartofthehamptons.org/polar-bear-plunge-2/. All donations are 100% tax deductible, and greatly appreciated. All of the proceeds go directly to help local people in need.