By David Karas | Correspondent

A decade ago, the Ancient Order of Hibernians Patrick Torphy Division of Middletown put together a winter fundraiser aimed to benefit a pair of Catholic schools.

“It started out 10 years ago for Mater Dei and St. Mary in New Monmouth to help them build their track,” recounted Jim Shaw, a member of St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth.

Today, that same chapter is putting the finishing touches on plans for the tenth installment of the annual Polar Plunge for Catholic Education, which has netted upwards of $840,000 benefitting Catholic schools throughout the region and drawing hundreds of participants.

“Last year, we had 26 different schools from as far away as Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville to Hudson Catholic,” said Shaw, chairman of the annual event. He pointed out that the fundraiser originally designed to support Diocese of Trenton schools has drawn interest from institutions in other diocesan communities as well.

This year’s Polar Plunge will be held Sunday, Jan. 10 at Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant, located at 100 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch. The annual event challenged participants to charge into the brisk Atlantic Ocean despite the frigid, mid-January climate, followed by an after party with entertainment and eats to celebrate the feat.

School and parish communities have already begun fundraising and pledge campaigns leading up to this year’s installment of the widely popular program. First held in 2007, the program has been put on with the intention of raising funds for schools to provide scholarships, financial aid, endowments and various facility projects. The AOH raises the roughly $6,000 in costs to put on the event, Shaw said, leaving schools able to directly benefit from all of the funds they raise through participation.

He said that one of the initial goals behind the event when it was first established was to raise a collective $1 million in funds for Catholic education.

“It is our hope that this year we go over the $1 million mark,” he said. Last year’s event netted more than $140,000 for participating schools alone.

The event Jan. 10 will include participation from a few new schools this year, he said, and he added that it is not too late for new school communities to get involved.

As far as his personal motivation for being involved, Shaw says that the annual Polar Plunge benefits a cause near and dear to his heart.

“I am a big believer in Catholic schools and I want to do everything I can to help them remain viable and grow,” he said. “Coming from St. Ann (Keansburg), which closed, it motivates me to make sure that kids have the opportunity of a Catholic education.”

For more information or sponsorship opportunities, and for schools to take part, visit http://aohplunge. blogspot.com/ or call Jim Shaw at 908-235-8380.