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• Jan 1, 2008 4:11 pm US/Pacific
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  Hundreds Swim In Annual 'Polar Bear' Charity Event

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Hundreds Swim In Annual 'Polar Bear' Charity Event

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Hundreds of hardy swimmers braved the 42-degree Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday for a traditional New Year's Day dip.

"It was a fantastic day," said Louis Scarcella, president of the Coney Island Polar Bears Club.

About 300 club members went in the water off Coney Island, raising $30,000 in pledges for Camp Sunshine, a camp for seriously ill children and their families in Casco, Maine, Scarcella said.

The annual tradition has been going on since 1900, reported WCBS-TV in New York's Pablo Guzman.

Another two dozen members of the Ice Breakers took a dip off nearby Brighton Beach, member Bob Stewart said.

"The cold water clears our minds and bodies so we can experience the new year in a more fresh and relaxed way," he said.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)