Polar Plunge's Cast of Characters Raise $140K For Special Olympics

It takes dedication, chutzpah, and a certain amount of self-denial to do this to yourself year after year. Although it helps that it’s all for a good cause.

For the fourth year in a row, hordes of people descended on Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai on a cold November morning to do what most of us shudder to think about - jump into the freezing waters of the Long Island Sound.

No this is not some bizarre rite of passage or winter ritual to ring in the holiday season (on second thought, maybe it is.) It’s the annual Brookhaven Town Polar Plunge to benefit athletes taking part in Special Olympics New York.

This year the plunge raised around $140,000, according to Kristina Aquilone, director of development for Special Olympics New York on Long Island.

The money was raised by individuals who committed themselves to the idea of running at full force down the frigid beach to dive into waters that hovered just under 50 degrees on Saturday, according to wunderground.com. The air temperature on the day of the event was 46 degrees at noon when the first plungers took to the beach. It probably felt much colder than that in your skivvies.

There were, according to Aquilone, over 1,000 registered plungers willing to attempt this feat.

The annual Polar Plunge at Cedar Beach is never without its characters. Along with space visitors from a galaxy far, far away entertaining the crowds gathered to watch and support participants, the plungers themselves get into the spirit of things.

And, really, what better way to take the plunge than dressed as a giant insect?

Yes. Top individual fundraiser, Tommy Roach, came decked out in his namesake for the occasion dressed in a giant roach costume. He raised over $5,000 according to his personal fundraising page on the Polar Plunge website.

Roach takes the plunge in honor of his son Tommy Jr. who has autism. Roach says that the Polar Plunge and Special Olympics are close to his heart and he’s been dipping into the Long Island Sound for the charity since the beginning.

He reported that he was slightly warmer because of the suit.

Did you miss the plunge? Never fear. There’s still time to donate. Click here to give to Tommy Roach’s fundraising page. And of course if you’re feeling brave, there’s always next year.

For more pictures of the plunge go to the official Facebook page.