The Polar Bear Plunge at Seaside Heights presented by New Jersey Law Enforcement as part of the year-round fundraising of Law Enforcement Torch Run® events is a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations, and businesses to support Special Olympics New Jersey athletes by jumping into the frigid Atlantic waters during February.
PLUNGE SCHEDULE & LOCATION
9:00 a.m. – Registration Opens
Blaine Ave Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
12:30 p.m. – Plungers head to the beach
(arrive early as it will be crowded)
1:00 p.m. – PLUNGE!!!
315 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights
Event Map
Personal Drones are not permitted on-site on the plunge
Bus and RV parking is on Grant Avenue, closest to the check-in tents. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
ACCESSING THE PLUNGE AREA
The plunge location is on the beach south of Spicy Cantina and in front of Lucky Leo’s.
To enter and exit the plunge area, single use entrances have been implemented to facilitate the smooth flow of entering and exiting the beach. There are dedicated entrances onto the beach and exits off the beach upon conclusion of the plunge.
Plungers will enter the beach at Franklin Avenue, in front of Lucky Leo’s, and exit at Sumner & Blaine Avenues, at Spicy Cantina. Click here to access a fully interactive Google Maps layout that provides directions to key areas.
The Family Plunge area is located on the south side of the Plunge zone. Plungers can enter the designated Family Plunge Area at the beach entrance between Lincoln & Dupont Avenues.
REGISTRATION TIERS
We encourage all plungers to register early to avoid the plunge minimum increase and to allow ample time for fundraising.
“Early” Bear ($100 minimum): September – December 31
“Now I’m Ready” Bear ($110 minimum): January 1 – January 31
“Better Late Than Never” Bear ($120 minimum): February 1 – February 16
“Almost Missed It” Bear ($125 minimum – FLAT RATE): February 17 – February 22
REGISTERING FOR THE IN-PERSON PLUNGE
Here’s how to get started:
- Register online for $25 to get started and set up a customizable fundraising page
- The great news is the $25 registration fee counts toward the minimum. Want to reach the minimum now? You can add an additional donation during the checkout process to get you there.
- Once registered, share your fundraising page with family and friends via email and social media. Track donations from your fundraising page, respond to donors and monitor fundraising progress as you get closer to your minimum.
- Do not stop there! As you raise more money for Special Olympics New Jersey, you will also earn fresh Polar Bear Plunge incentives. Check out the Plunge Incentive page to see what you can earn.
ALL PLUNGERS, INCLUDING TEAM MEMBERS, MUST RAISE THE MINIMUM TO PARTICIPATE.
OFFLINE DONATIONS
- If you have donation checks to submit, please use the offline donation form that contains instructions on how and where to send them. Please send offline donation forms and checks postmarked no later than February 20.
- If you have cash to turn in, we suggest you consider donating to your fundraising page online for the cash total. Alternatively, you can use cash to purchase a money order. You can then send a money order just as you would send a check using the offline donation form. Please DO NOT send cash via mail.
Frequently Asked Questions
ALL PLUNGERS must raise the minimum to plunge based on their registration tier. If plunging as a team, ALL TEAM MEMBERS are still required to raise the minimum. Charitable contributions are non-refundable, and the minimum plunge requirement is considered a contribution, and therefore, non-refundable.
Yes! Forming a team is a great way to motivate one another to raise more money for Special Olympics New Jersey. When registering, select the “Create a Team” option.
Our participants look forward to the awesome Plunge gear every year! Please take a look at our incentives page for the levels based on individual fundraising goals.
There is no age requirement to participate in a Polar Bear Plunge. Young children are welcome to join, but that decision is left to the sole discretion of the child’s parent or guardian. A waiver is included in the online registration process, and it must be approved or “clicked,” by an adult. Those under 18 years of age are required to have a parent or guardian present at the event. If you do not register online, paper waivers are available at registration, as well.
We have streamlined our check-in process but can never predict when crowds will be heaviest. We encourage you to arrive early to check-in on the day of the event and enjoy the Plunge atmosphere. All participants MUST check-in prior to Plunging to turn in funds, receive incentives, and receive Plunger access materials to be allowed to the site. Bring all donations with you when you come to check-in. Cash, charge, and checks are accepted.
- Register online. We take registrations on the day of but it's MUCH faster if you've already registered online...plus you'll save yourself $25 (Late Registration = $125).
- When possible, contact us prior to arriving at registration with questions about online donations or issues regarding registration. If questions arise that day, we will do our best to help you with them in a timely manner.
You can wear whatever you want to Plunge - a bathing suit, street clothes, and even costumes!
We provide changing tents on the beach for men and women. Law enforcement personnel will be at the entrance to monitor the area, but please note that neither the event committee, City of Seaside Heights nor Special Olympics New Jersey is responsible for personal belongings left inside the changing rooms that are lost or stolen during the course of the event. Leave items at your own risk. Spectators are not allowed access to the changing areas. If an individual needs to be accompanied for a certain reason, please explain to the law enforcement at the entrance of the rooms to gain access.
For the best Plunge experience, make sure to bring the following:
- A towel to dry off and warm up with.
- Old shoes, aquatic shoes, etc. Don't forget to bring a pair of dry shoes to wear afterward.
- A duffel bag, backpack, garbage bag, etc. It's a good idea to bring a bag for dry clothes and your Plunge incentives, as well as a plastic bag for your wet clothes.
- Dry replacement clothes. After you're done Plunging, it's nice to have some warm and dry clothes for the journey home.
- Another Plunger! Recruit a friend, family member, co-worker, or acquaintance and get them to Plunge with you. It's always more fun to Plunge with someone!
- Do NOT dive or flip into the water. This is a safety precaution for all Plungers that is strictly enforced by the Dive Team.
- We advise you not to Plunge after drinking alcohol. Intoxicated people will not be permitted to Plunge.
- Leave valuables at home or with a spectator. Special Olympics New Jersey is not responsible for items that are lost or stolen.
- Try not to run out of the water after you Plunge. Keep in mind that everything is wet and slippery.
- Bring along warm clothes to wear after you Plunge that are easy to put on. The last things you want to deal with when you're cold and wet are clumsy zippers and buttons!
- Carpool! Parking can be crowded so help us out by coming as a group.
For the safety and enjoyment of all participants, personal drones are strictly prohibited at the Polar Bear Plunge. This includes bringing drones onto the event grounds, flying drones anywhere near the event area, including before, during, and after the plunge. Drones that violate this policy are subject to local police interception and confiscation.
Team Captains can NOT check-in their entire team. All plungers must check themselves in and pick up their own incentives. The plunge has grown to a point where all participants must be responsible for themselves.
Contact Us
If you still have questions about the Plunge, contact us at pbpinfo@sonj.org.