VIEW TO A CHILL, Shoregoers by the score race into 44-degree Atlantic for charity's sake

Tom Asciutto walked past the patches of snow and ice on the Asbury Park boardwalk yesterday, waiting until the last possible second on the hard beach to shed his insulated coveralls and black New York Jets cap. After all, the wind was transforming the chilly air into something nearly unbearable even with all his clothes on. Around him, more than 125 other people wearing only bathing suits and goosebumps tried to psyche themselves up for what was to come.

"Go!" someone yelled, and the crowd ran screaming en masse toward the water 50 feet in front of them. They plunged their exposed bodies into the frigid Atlantic Ocean as part of the annual Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge, torturing themselves in the name of charity.

Call them crazy. Call them masochistic. But don't call them uncaring. "I've never felt cold like that on my feet in my life," Asciutto said after donning dry clothes. "The water wasn't as cold as the air." The 44-year-old South River resident raised $3,350 for the non-profit organization, earning him the title of the top donor of the event. He works for a small broker-dealer firm, which contributed $2,500 of his tally.

"It was not as bad as I expected," he said. "And honestly, yes, I will do it again." In its sixth year, the Polar Bear Plunge chooses different Monmouth County organizations annually to whom to give the proceeds, which have averaged $75,000. This year the funds will be divided among the Special Olympics, environmental watchdog Clean Ocean Action and the youth program Campership of Monmouth County. The degree of participation is weather-dependent. The number of plungers has ranged from 30 in the first year to 350 a couple years later on a 60-degree day, said Sean Clifford, a founder of the event.

Yesterday’s attendance was impressive, organizers said, given the 44-degree water temperature and the 2-degree air temps, after factoring in wind chill. While awaiting the start, the Rev. Kevin Gillen, chaplain at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, started to question the wisdom of choosing this year to take his first plunge. He’d been a spectator the past three years. “It’s like right before going out with the gladiators in the Colosseum,” said Gillen, whose brother-in-law is one of the organizers. “The anticipation keeps building.”

SWIGS OF COURAGE

Before the plunge, participants and spectators gathered in the enclosed breezeway between Convention Hall and Paramount Theater. Most kept on their multiple layers of winter weather gear until the last minute, although a few brave souls walked around in their bathing suits and bare feet. Cups of beer and bottles of whiskey helped many take the edge off. This was the first year Emily Lutkewitte, 16, took the plunge, and the third year for her 10-year-old brother, Will.

“It was so cold that I got numb,” Emily said, clutching the towel wrapped around her. “I ran right in, put my head under and ran back out.” Will said this year was far colder than his previous two. “It felt like my heart stopped,” he said. James Jank of Rumson, another organizer, said he’s always amazed at how desperate many people are to leave the water once they’ve entered it.

“People will step on their children and grandparents to get back out,” he said jokingly. “The best part is getting the community together on a quiet day and being able to give back to a lot of local charities that do so many great things in the community.” Judy Horan, a representative of Campership of Monmouth County, said her organization, which sends economically disadvantaged and disabled children to summer camps, is grateful for the donation.

“It’s fabulous,” she said. “They’re very generous. For us it’s good, because we’re a very small organization.” Until this year, the plunges had been held in Sea Bright. The Sons of Ireland moved the event to Asbury Park because the usual host restaurant in Sea Bright closed for the season.

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