Long Beach group to hold polar plunge Sunday in Paulie Bradley's memory

The Long Beach Polar Bear Club will hold its 17th annual plunge Sunday, Feb. 7 at the beach off Riverside Boulevard to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.

The Polar Bear Plunge coincides with Super Bowl Sunday and is held in memory of 4-year-old Paulie Bradley. The club has raised $4.8 million for the Make A Wish Foundation since the first plunge in 2000. Bradley was a Long Beach boy who wanted to be a lifeguard and died from illness in 1997.

Swimmers can meet at 12:30 p.m. at Riverside Beach between Riverside Boulevard and Broadway for the 1:30 p.m. plunge into the ocean.

Long Beach officials are providing free shuttle buses to and from the event from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Routes from the East End start at the LIRR station and on Ohio Avenue and Beech Street in the West End.

Registration for polar bear swimmers or to sponsor a swimmer can be completed at superbowlsplash.kintera.org

For more information visit longbeachpolarbears.org or call 516-897-2950.