Vintage photos of the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge

Every New Year's day brave souls gather on the shore of Coney Island Beach for the Coney Island Polar Bear Club's New Year's Day Swim, a tradition that's been going strong since 1903. Participants shake off their New Year’s Eve hangovers by plunging into the freezing waves. Spectators are in store for just as much fun, since many New Yorkers participating in the frosty dip arrive dressed in costume. The silliness is all for a good cause as the event raises funds for Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit that supports children with life-threatening illnesses. Click through our slideshow to see participants through the decades.