Bristol Polar Plungers help make wishes come true

Dozens of hearty New Year's revelers shook off their hangovers with a refreshing dip in the ocean Sunday morning, all to help children in the region.

While the water was ice cold, the swimmers got a reprieve with the weather this year, with temperatures hovering in the high-30s to low-40s, unseasonably warm for 11 a.m. on New Year's Day when The 6th annual East Bay Icebreakers Polar Plunge took place for 11 a.m. at Bristol Town Beach on Asylum Road. 

Those willing to dare the cold were warmed by the knowledge that their chilly run into the frigid water was helping support Children's Wishes of Rhode Island.

“We’ve been supporting them with the plunge for the last six years,” said organizer Scott Magilton, who noted donations are encouraged by not required. “I’d like to say $10 a person, but people can give whatever they want.”

Children’s Wishes was formed in 2009 to grant wishes to Rhode Island children between the ages of 2-1/2 and 18 who are facing life-threatening, malignant or degenerative medical conditions, according to the charity’s website.

“Children’s Wishes strives to make sure that each child who qualifies for a Wish is able to experience the joy of having their Wish come true,” the group’s mission statement reads. “In partnership with other children’s wish granting organizations, Children’s Wishes works cooperatively to make sure that the needs of all RI children qualifying for a wish are met.”