The new year is moving quickly

As if the months aren’t moving fast enough, February is here. The fresh paint smell of January’s promises seems to have dried. The year is young still, but writing the number ‘2’ alongside the date is a reminder of how quickly things are moving.

Within the first week of February, the New York/New Jersey area held an iconic sporting event, and even closer to home, Long Islanders participated in the Polar Bear Splash. In spite of the cold, people trekked to the MetLife Stadium to watch the Denver Broncos play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL’s Super Bowl. The city was host to many Super Bowl-themed events, such as concerts and Times Square decorating in honor of the event.

Super Bowl Sunday, aside from the parties and the team rivalries, hosts a very special event right here on Long Island. The Polar Bear Super Bowl Splash encourages the daring and the brave to jump into the freezing ocean in order to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Make A Wish foundation raises money to grant wishes to children with terminal illnesses. Wishes range from trips to Disney World to a concert with their favorite artists. People from all over Long Island find their bathing suits in the middle of winter and come out to support. Some people skip the bathing suit and come in costume, like the famous Batman or Morphsuits.

Lawrence Woodmere Academy students including senior Jackie Gropper took the plunge. “It’s a fun tradition and it was a bittersweet experience because I’ll be in college next year and miss it. It’s always nice to see your friends and community come together to do something wild.”

Everything is moving quickly and it’s hard to catch your breath when the air is this cold. What makes this an exciting time is knowing that good things are to come, whether it’s a super event right in our backyard or a daring polar bear plunge for a good cause.