Photograph of last year’s swim by brooklyn_g_girl on Flickr The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is holding their annual New Year’s Day swim tomorrow. It’s open to all lunatics, so start 2011 right with a bracing dip in the Atlantic ocean. (But be careful !) There’s no fee for swimmers, but the club encourages everyone to make a donation to Camp Sunshine , a year round retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses. The NYC Parks Department will provide changing facilities on the Boardwalk at Stillwell Avenue, and the pre-party and after-party will take place at Ruby’s Bar and Grill — perhaps for the last time, because they’re being evicted to make way for some soulless generic sports bar. For that reason, the after-party will also double as a protest to rally support for Ruby’s, which is fighting the eviction. If you go, you can share your photos by emailing them to photos@gothamist.com or tagging them “gothamist” on Flickr.

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Start 2011 With A Polar Bear Swim In The Atlantic