thumb|300px|The club in the water in December 2013
thumb|New Years Day 2011
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States, whose members regularly take polar bear plunges in the winters. The club was founded by famed health advocate Bernarr McFadden in 1903.
The club began using the event to raise funds for Special Olympics starting in 2005, and Camp Sunshine in 2007. In 2018, the club decided to support local groups and charities and began partnering with the Alliance for Coney Island to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations.
Members swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island, New York, United States every Sunday from November through April. Every New Year's Day, the club is joined by participants from around the country, who partake in an annual swim. The 2005 event had 300 participants and 6000 onlookers.