Thousands turned out for the 14th annual Long Beach Polar Bears Super Bowl Splash to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation at Grand Boulevard beach Sunday.
This event had it all; a DJ, politicians, and a Long Beach teenager, Sarah Whelan, who belted out the Star Spangled Banner rivaling Beyonce. And of course there were the Polar Bears themselves, some dressed as winged fairies and others wrapped in their favorite bathrobes. Sen. Charles Schumer, Assemblyman Harvey Wiesenberg, and members of the Long Beach City Council turned out to kick off the ceremonies. The 1:30 p.m. “splash off” saw many brave souls of all ages make their mad dash into the ocean.
According to the Make-A-Wish Foundation's website, $321,584 was raised online to support the wonderful work of the Foundation, which “grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions”. After Superstorm Sandy, Long Beach was “bruised but not broken.”
