The weather turned milder and dry just in time for one of the borough?s most celebrated traditions - the Polar Bear Club?s annual Jan. 1 swim.

Some of those who took part in the plunge into the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island said they had been waiting all year for the swim. The club estimates a couple thousand people came out to watch and several hundred took part in the dip.

This year?s swim raised money for Camp Sunshine. The club expected to pull in $40,000 for the Maine-based organization. Camp Sunshine offers free 24-hour medical support for sick children and bereavement groups for families that lost children to illness.