Upcoming Penguin Plunge to Help Ailing Youngsters

Intrepid Nyackers will march down to a snow-covered Memorial Park this Sunday to jump in the frigid Hudson River.

The mid-winter dip—organized by Blauvelt charity Penguin Plunge and slated for 12 p.m.—will benefit two ailing youngsters.

The kids are Tyler Tobin, a five-year-old from Orangeburg, and Haley Tyrrell, a 12-year-old from Ridgewood, NJ. Tobin recently had a bone marrow transplant and regularly ventures to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for checkups—but he's on the mend.

"Hopefully next year Tyler can go to school and meet people," said Barbara Noyes, a Penguin Plunge director who helped organize the fundraiser.

Tyrrell had her leg amputated in fifth grade to prevent the spread of osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that was discovered when doctors were treating a broken leg.

The money raised from the event will cover medical bills and procedures. It will also help Tyrrell purchase a new prosthetic leg—as a young girl, she has already outgrown the original. The supplement can cost upward of $90,000.

The Penguin Plunge—now in its fourth year—has raised approximately $50,000 through past events.

"People have been generous," Noyes said. "It's provided so much help for the kids."

This year, organizers are expecting 500 participants, 2oo of whom will likely strip down to bathing suits and enter the river. There's no cost to jump in; the event will raise money through sponsorships and raffles. There will also be live music, clowns and more.

Noyes noted they're expecting good weather for the event, and poor weather can sometimes deter participants—though not the ones you would expect.

"We've had people go in the river during nasty weather; that's not the hard part," Noyes explained. Rain and snow will push away people who show up for the entertainment, though.