A robust colony of penguins recently returned to the icy waters of Hudson River for the 19th consecutive year — an annual harbinger of winter’s pivot toward spring in Rockland County and a reminder that there are families in our communities living through incredibly difficult hardships who need support.
Since its founding as a one-time only event to raise money for families with “seriously ill” children back in 2007, the Penguin Plunge’s call to generous and brave souls just kept on going. The group, a nonprofit “colony” of volunteers, has now helped 43 children and raised over a million dollars through its frigid efforts, according to its website.
This year’s colony (which is what you call a community of penguins) swelled into the triple digits on Sunday, March 1, and included Nyack Mayor Joe Rand submerging himself in a full business suit.
Our penguin-friendly photographer Andrea Swenson plunged herself into all heartfelt and breath-taking action in our latest Photo Shoot! (Scroll down for more photos and a full slide show.)
Scenes From the Shoot
Slideshow: The Big Finale
Click on the arrows below to flip through all of Andrea’s photos from the event. Enjoy the show!
See more of Andrea’s recent Photo Shoots here and find even more of her outstanding work on Instagram.
