Some people usher in the new year with a champagne toast, others by dutifully eating black-eyed peas, and then there are those who celebrate by diving into ice-cold water.

Taking the plunge into the New Year has become an annual tradition for many and a memorable way to raise funds for charity.

This unique approach to fundraising began in Massachusetts, where, in 1904, a Boston swim club decided that braving frigid water was the perfect way to support local causes.

More than a century later, the tradition is still going strong and still just as cold.

See more at heraldnews.com.