Fundraising Participants Bracing for Frigid Ocean Plunge on New Year’s Day in Coney Island

Freezin’ for a Reason event to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a one-of-a-kind retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening diseases and their families

CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. (December 23, 2014) – Participants in the Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s ninth annual Coney Island Polar Dip will plunge into the frigid Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day to raise money to send more New York families to Camp Sunshine.

The Jan. 1 fundraising event will test the mettle of participants who must dip into near-freezing ocean waters at Riegelmann Boardwalk in historic Coney Island in Brooklyn. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with plunges beginning at 1 p.m.

Camp Sunshine is a one-of-a-kind national retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The Coney Island Polar Dip is partnering with TeamRaiser, a popular online fundraising platform, to make it easier to fundraise. To donate online, form or join a team, visit http://www.freezinforareason.com  For more information, call (207) 655-3800.

Participants can avoid long lines on New Year’s Day by registering online as soon as possible and making a minimum $20 donation to trigger express registration and entry into the earlier PLUNGE waves.

Organizers have set a goal to raise more than $50,000 – enough to send 25 New York families to Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org). Plungers who raise $100 or more will receive a highly coveted long sleeve Freezin' for a Reason “I DID IT” event shirt. Participants over 21 years old also will receive a limited edition “The Plunge” pint glass, complements of Coney Island Brewing Company, and an invitation to an exclusive after party with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club at Peggy O’Neill’s Bar and Restaurant.

“It’s that time of year again, time to dig out your swimsuit and take the plunge with family, friends and co-workers for an event that is as heartwarming as it is bone chilling,” said Michael Smith, Camp Sunshine’s Director of Special Events. “That’s why we call it Freezin’ for a Reason.”

Plungers are encouraged to bring warm clothes, surf boots or old sneakers, and towels. The NYC Parks Department is providing changing facilities.

Nestled alongside the shores of beautiful Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine, Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed on them on a daily basis.

The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers.  It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family.

Since the opening of the Camp’s year-round campus in 2001, more ill children and their families have come from New York than any other state in the nation. In 2013, 152 families from New York attended the Camp. Even with multiple sessions being added annually at Camp Sunshine, there are still many more children from New York being newly diagnosed each year, Smith said.

Camp Sunshine’s program continues to be recommended by the following New York treatment centers: Mount Sinai Medical Center, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Schneider's Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University Medical Center, Brooklyn Hospital Center, Westchester Medical Center,  Stony Brook Medical Center, and numerous others.

About Camp Sunshine
Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week, and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed upon them on a daily basis. The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family – the ill child, the parents and the siblings. Since its inception in 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 32,000 individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition to providing 24-hour on-site medical and psychosocial support, the camp offers a variety of daily activities, including swimming, boating, archery and soccer, and special events such as bonfires and cookouts; and also hosts fall and winter programs. To support Camp Sunshine, call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

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