By: Chris Munzing
More than 5,000 people crowded the sand and the boardwalk at Riverside Boulevard on the February afternoon, with temperatures reaching the 50s, to watch the young and the young at heart hit the waves.
Co-founder Pete Meyers said that the Polar Bears raised more than $88,000 on Sunday, and that donations were still coming in days later. "We haven't even gotten to the checks yet," he said. "It was a cool day. We ran out of sweatshirts, and every cent of profit goes to Make-A-Wish."
Since 2000, the Polar Bear Club has raised more than $150,000 for Make-A-Wish. The effort began in 1998, as a way to remember 4-year-old Paulie Bradley, who had died the previous year. Since then, the swim has become one of Long Beach's biggest celebrations and fund-raisers.
Sue Farrell of Long Beach came down with a few friends who had never participated. Farrell said this was the perfect time to do it. "I've done it cold, and it's more fun right now," Farrell said, staring up at the clear blue sky. "And it's more fun here than in Coney Island. The people here are just great, and that makes all the difference."
Farrell's friends, Maryann Meyer, Maryellen Breen and Andre Breen, all hit the water for the first time Sunday, leaving another friend, Sherrill Hughes, behind. "It doesn't look that hard," Hughes said as her friends headed for the ocean. "Of course, I'm standing up here with my clothes on."
Larry Zuefle III and his father, Larry Jr., of Louisiana Street, said they wanted to see what all the fuss was about. "The word on the street was that there's a lot of people doing it, so we thought we'd check it out," the junior Zuefle said.
"We went to church, and then we came here," added his father. "It's for a good cause."
Ed Grant, of the West End and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1384, came down for his fifth Polar Bear swim, and brought nine fellow vets with him. "It's absolutely wonderful out here," he said. "It's nice with the sun out and no wind."
Grant swam with someone who was familiar to many: Santa Claus. "It's a little tough going in, but it's easy getting out," said Santa, a.k.a. Tom Mattson. "I'm used to the North Pole, though."
"It's a fun day," said Mary Beth Ragonesi of Oceanside. "It's a fun way to start the Super Bowl and it's all for Make-A-Wish. So what, we get cold. We're being reborn." Ragonesi took the plunge with friends Claudio DeCarlos and Bob Mayer, but left husband Benny and son Spencer on the shore. "Maybe next year," she laughed.
Photos by Rebecca Lopatin/Herald
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