Polar Bears take the plunge

Thousands of thrill seekers dove into the icy Atlantic waters off of Riverside Beach in Long Beach on Super Bowl Sunday at the 13th annual Polar Bear Splash. The frigid water was below 40 and the air was a brisk 35 degrees.

Organizer Pete Meyers said he estimates more than 15,000 spectators watched more than 6,000 Bears dive into the ocean from the shores and boardwalk. In the 10 years the event has benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation it has raised more than $1.6 million. While the foundation is still processing donations, Meyers said he is confident that this year they have met their goal of $400,000.

The Long Beach Polar Bear Club has become the largest non-corporate Make-A-Wish sponsor and has granted 165 wishes to children from Long Beach, Oceanside, Island Park and beyond.

It all started when Meyers and McCarthy donned swimsuits and plunged into the ocean just before the kickoff of Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, to commemorate McCarthy's 40th birthday. The following year, a dozen friends joined them, including Island Park resident Mike Bradley and his brother, P.J., a Long Beach police officer, who were mourning the loss of Mike's 4-year-old son, Paulie, who had died of cancer a year earlier. Mike and his wife, Patti, were looking to do something in memory of their son, and in 2000 Meyers and McCarthy agreed to turn their now annual swim into a Make-A-Wish fundraiser.