Breathe

Frozen bodies, warm hearts at Heart of the Hamptons annual polar plunge

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Freezing cold temperatures couldn’t keep East Enders set on helping food insecurity away from the frosty shores of Cooper’s Beach in Southampton last Saturday.

Dozens and dozens of fearless swimmers dashed into the waves with temperatures hovering around 31°F.

But when it comes to supporting Heart of the Hamptons, the good vibes and community spirit made the freezing temperature all the more reason to brave the frosty waves.

Heart of the Hamptons food pantry and assistance programs serves more than 2,800 families in the Town of Southampton. This year’s Polar Plunge set a goal of raising $350,000 to boost that consistent aid to help our hungry neighbors. Even Santa showed up to boost the merry, mer-folk community spirit.

Amy Zavatto is the Editor-in-Chief for southforker, northforker and Long Island Wine Press. She's a wine, spirits, and food journalist whose work appears in Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook.com, MarthaStewart.com, the New York Post, Liquor.com, SevenFifty Daily, Imbibe, Men’s Journal and many others. She's the author of The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails, Prosecco Made Me Do It: 60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails, Forager’s Cocktails: Botanical Mixology with Fresh, Natural Ingredients, and The Architecture of the Cocktail. She is a respected judge for the American Craft Spirits Association’s annual small-production spirits competition, and has moderated numerous panels on the topics of wine, spirits, cocktails, and regional foodways. She is the former Deputy Editor for the regional celebratory publications, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn, as well as the former Executive Director of the Long Island Merlot Alliance. She is a member of the New York chapter of the international organization of women leaders in food, wine, and spirits, Les Dames d’Escoffier. The proud daughter of a butcher, Amy is originally from Shelter Island, N.Y., where she developed a deep respect for the East End’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving and celebrating it and its people.

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