‘Molar Bears’ make splash at Town of Oyster Bay Polar Bear Plunge

When Nicholas Miller plunged alone in 2015 at the Town of Oyster Bay Polar Bear Plunge  — which raises money for Special Olympics New York — he was the largest fundraiser for the event at 8 years old.

He returned to the water on March 18 with a team -- including his 9-year-old cousin, Justin, who now holds the same honor as Nicholas.  

Their team was called The Molar Bears because Nicholas’s dad, Chris Miller, is an orthodontist at Shulman & Miller Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Plainview.

The Massapequa family collected $9,840, the most out of any team. Out of that, Justin, who has cerebral palsy, was named top fundraiser with $7,840, to go along with Nicholas’s $2,000.

“It’s good because I’m doing this for him and he’s here with us,” Nicholas said of Justin, who went into the water with his father, Craig Miller, holding him. Justin’s 13-year-old brother, Ryan, also plunged with the Molar Bears.

“I’m not really a water person, and I’m definitely not a cold water person, but it doesn’t matter because we are doing something as a team for a good cause,” Chris Miller said.

Nicholas first learned about the polar plunge after he saw a sign about it on a wall at his school.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Long Island polar bear plunges

“I didn’t think I’d win because there was so many people doing it,” Nicholas said.

In 2016, the Molar Bears made their debut as a team and also raised the most at $9,100, with Ryan as the top fundraiser.

“It’s something that makes us all feel good,” Chris Miller said. “It’s an experience we will probably be doing for a lot of years.”

The team received an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends, he added, but also from colleagues and patients.

SEE PHOTOSLI polar bear plunges: Frozen faces

“It’s something that brings us together as a family at the practice,” he said.

Craig Miller said he’s grateful for the generous donations he received from his coworkers at The Blackstone Group, where he is manager director.

As Craig carried his son toward the icy water, Justin took his very first plunge.

“There’s some things that we take for granted every day,” Craig said. “For my son, getting changed or getting to walk is a chore for him. So when you come out here on a day like this — and you see the love and support — it really means a lot to families like us that deal with this on a daily basis.”