Calling All Plungers! Join the Wildwoods' Annual Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, January 19th

The Special Olympics of New Jersey is looking for individuals and teams to brave the icy Atlantic Ocean  to raise money for a worthy cause during the 2013 Wildwoods Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, January 19, 2013, starting at 1 p.m...

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PRESS RELEASE

The Special Olympics of New Jersey invite you and your team to join and plunge to raise money for a worthy cause during the 2013 Wildwoods Polar Bear Plunge, into the Atlantic Ocean. This event takes place on Saturday, January 19, 2013, starting at 1 p.m. on the beach behind the Wildwoods Convention Center.

Every year, this event becomes bigger and better. To-date, the number of plungers and dollars raised are up 10 percent from 2012. This year, one of the main focuses is Team Plunge. Plungers are encouraged to build teams of 10 or more and battle other teams to raise the most money. Most teams dress up in costume, also competing for the best costume! The Wildwoods Polar Bear Plunge does its best to make this a fun and memorable event, even if the water temperature is around 45 degrees!

The Beef and Brrr Benefit for the Plunge will kick off the 2013 Wildwoods Polar Bear Plunge on Friday, January 18 starting at 7 p.m. at the Bolero Resort, 3320 Atlantic Avenue, Wildwood, NJ. For a $20 donation to the Special Olympics NJ, your night will include a beef buffet, drink specials, live entertainment and an opportunity at a live auction.

The Polar Bear Plunge is FREE for spectators. Plungers are required to raise $100 each or $1,000 per 10-person team, in pledges to participate in the event. Early registration can be completed online by visiting www.sonj.org. Additional registration and donations will be accepted on-site the day of the event.

Check-in will take place from 10 a.m. – noon inside the Wildwoods Convention Center lobby. Immediately following the Plunge at 1 p.m., participants can enjoy a free lunch. All pre-registration and after-plunge activities will take place in the Wildwoods Convention Center.

The Wildwoods’ Polar Bear Plunge is a family friendly event benefiting more than 22,000 athletes of the Special Olympics New Jersey. There are incentives based on the total funds raised and there will be a special recognition for the person who raises the most money.

Year after year, the Wildwoods Polar Bear Plunge continues to grow in popularity and is just one of the many FREE events offered in the Wildwoods. Beat the winter blues by showing support for a worthy cause and come see what the Polar Bear Plunge is all about.

For more information regarding the Special Olympics New Jersey please visit www.sonj.org.

For more information regarding the Special Olympics Wildwoods’ Polar Bear Plunge please call 609-896-8000 or visit www.njpolarplunge.org.

For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.   

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About the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority

The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) was formed in 1993 to consolidate the tourism economy of its three founding municipalities: Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood. The Wildwoods have won numerous travel and tourism awards, heralding the resort for its beaches, boardwalk and attractions.

The Wildwoods were named “Best Beaches in New Jersey” in the 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2008 Top Ten New Jersey Beaches public survey, sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Wildwoods’ beaches were also named “Best Beach for Family Vacations,” “Best Beach for Tourism,” “Best Beach for Events,” “Best Beach for Eco-Tourism” and “Best Beach for Day Trips” in the same surveys.

The Wildwoods were named #1 Boardwalk in the nation by FamilyVacationCritic.com in 2012; and Smarter Travel also named the Wildwoods Boardwalk, one of “Americas Best Boardwalks.” The 2012 list of “15 Destinations on the Rise” for TripAdvisor included the Wildwoods, and Homes.com voted the Wildwoods one of “Americas Top 10 Scenic Seasides of the Summer.” The Wildwoods also received the Delaware County Daily Times 2012 Readers’ Choice Award for “Favorite Shore Town”. In addition, the Wildwoods were voted “Best Town” in the 2009 and 2011 by Philly Hot List, Jersey Shore Edition contest; and was one of Sherman’s Travel’s “Top Ten American Boardwalks” for two years in a row.
 
The Tourism Authority operates the Wildwoods Convention Center and acts as the island’s destination marketing organization overseeing the development, research, planning, marketing, advertising, promotion, public and media relations encompassing the tourism, meeting and convention industry in the Wildwoods. Additionally, the Authority funds, assists with and hosts more than 180 annual special events to enhance the visitor experience and extend the tourism season, including the Beach Monster Mash Truck Races, Family Nights On The Boardwalk, Friday Night Fireworks, the New Jersey State Barbeque Championships and Anglesea Blues Festival, Classic Car Shows, the International Kite Festival, Irish and Italian Festivals and the National Marbles Tournament, among others. For more information about the Wildwoods, contact the GWTIDA at 1-800-WW-By-Sea (800-992-9732) or visit its web site, www.WildwoodsNJ.com.