Polar Bears are out in force, all over the country. It’s that time of year when normal people get a wild hair up their you-know-where, strip down to their skivvies and jump into some icy cold waters to celebrate the new year.
Even south of the Mason-Dixon, the tradition still holds. In Beaufort, South Carolina, folks in my community [aka Habersham] are gearing up for the “2nd Annual Haber-Plunge,” even if the temps won’t fall much below 60 degrees . . . heck, traditions are traditions!
New Wrinkle
This year the Portsmouth Polar Bears in Rhode Island are adding a new wrinkle to their frigid body plunge. The name of their dive has been modified to "Dive for the Dogs" to reflect the fact the plungers are freezing their toots off for a good reason. They're collecting money for a new dog park. Here's the scoop that was dispatched by the Portsmouth Patch on December 31, 2016.
Portsmouth Polar Dive: Dive for the Dogs
When: Sunday, Jan. 1 Noon
Where: Seawall, Park Avenue, Island Park
A bonfire will be roaring away by 11 a.m, and there'll be live music. Organizers claim this plunge is the only polar dive with a bonfire. It's all to benefit the Portsmouth Dog Park. The after party will be at The Beachcomber, 506 Park Ave., and "there will be a free spread of food put out for everybody."
Raffle tickets will be sold to help the dog park buy benches and other amenities. The Portsmouth Business Association, The Portsmouth Dog Park & The Beachcomber are sponsors.
"Please come down and help our town out," the organizers say. "You'll have a great time even if you don't jump in."
Habershammers
Not to put my fellow Habershammers to shame . . . but perhaps the 5 folks that admitted to signing up for this year’s plunge in Beaufort, might also think about donating to a worthy cause next year. Hell, with a humanitarian charity in play, they might even get me to take that Haber-Plunge! Oh yeah, and a roaring bonfire might be just what the doctor ordered as well.
