Southampton, NY -

The sixth annual Polar Bear Plunge for Hunger will take place Saturday, December 12th at 10 a.m. at Cooper’s Beach in Southampton Village. Hundreds
of local participants will jump in the ocean to benefit those in need.  The event supports the Southampton Food Pantry, a Holiday Giving Day on Dec. 18 and other programs sponsored by Human Resources of the Hamptons (HRH). Plungers should arrive before 9:30 a.m. on the day of the event in order to register and turn in their donations.
A Survivor’s Celebration will follow the plunge with hot refreshments donated
by local merchants.
           Plungers collect money by signing up people as sponsors.  A minimum donation of $25 is required to plunge. All past plungers will receive a 2009 invitation by mail.
To download sponsor sheets and instructions, go to www.hrhamptons.org or call
 283-3969. Each plunger must sign a waiver on the day of the plunge. Those under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
              All Southampton village employees, firefighters, police officers, and ambulance volunteers have been sponsored by an anonymous donor at $100 per person.  Elected officials are backed by a $200 pledge.  A local donor is sponsoring all plunging students who attend Southampton High School or Intermediate School at $50 each. And Wright and Co. Construction is sponsoring its own employees and their families at $100 each.

“The Polar Bear Plunge helps the whole community get into the holiday spirit,” said Mary Ann Tupper, Director of HRH. “In the current economy, we’ve added more
than 200 local families to our Food Pantry list since the summer. We now serve more

than 500 local families. We count on the people of our community to help their less fortunate friends and neighbors.”