Community Corner
Asbury Park Polar Plunge To Go On, Despite Frosty Weather
Although other Polar Plungers held annually around the state are being cancelled, the Asbury Park tradition will go on as scheduled.
ASBURY PARK, NJ - As we are all nestled in our comfortable homes, the heat jacked up to infinity, we might want to remember that tomorrow, some brave (crazy?) people will be on the frigid beachfront and freezing water, all to raise money for charity.
"You better believe" the plunge will go on as scheduled, according to sponsor Sons of Ireland Facebook page.
According to The Surf Report, the water temperature off Asbury Park ranges from 40.7 to 47 degrees today and the weather predicts air temperatures tomorrow in the teens, with wind chill making things a little more nippy.
According to Scientific American, a person can survive in 41-degree Fahrenheit or five-degrees Celsius water for 10, 15 or 20 minutes before the muscles get weak and you lose coordination and strength, which occurs because the blood moves away from the extremities and toward the center - or core - of the body.
Generally, plungers spend only moments in the water and then head for Convention Hall where they can warm up, either with fresh towels and blankets or stronger stuff, which incidentially is not recommended regardless of the visions you may have of Saint Bernards with flasks fashioned around their necks. Hopefully, there will be no one who challenges Mother Nature to the degree she takes her revenge.
The Sons of Ireland are serious about the plunge which can raise quite a bit for local charities.
According to their fund-raising page, this year the non-profit organization is hoping to raise $100,000 or more and the plungers will certainly have earned that in a most cold-hearted way.
The 2018 Plunge will benefit Shore House and Unbroken Warriors.
Shore House is a membership organization dedicated to providing resources and supportive services to people with mental illness so that they may lead a fulfilling life and have access to employment, education, housing, health care and the opportunity to be productive members of their community.
Unbroken Warriors was established to provide veterans who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder the tools to pursue effective residential treatment through various proven therapeutic techniques.
"Our goal is for all American war veterans to manage their PTSD symptoms and regain control of their lives," Unbroken Warriors maintains.
The plungers will gather at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Convention Hall.
A scene from the 2015 Polar Plunge in Asbury. Photograph by Mel Evans/Associated Press.
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