Participants from across the state rally for designated driving

OCEAN CITY, NJ (January 4, 2017) – Splashing their way into the New Year, 1,000 participants raced through the surf here at the third annual HERO Plunge on Sunday, January 1st in support of the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.

Some braved the water up to their knees, while others took the full plunge. Many wore colorful costumes of superheroes or comic book characters.

The plunge raised a record $22,000 for the non-profit campaign to fund designated driver promotion and registration programs in partnership with schools and colleges, sports stadiums and bar and tavern associations. Several hundred plungers also took the HERO Pledge to be safe and sober designated drivers.

“Designated drivers are the real life of the party,” said Bill Elliott, founder of the HERO Campaign. “Every life lost to drunk driving is fully preventable. Using a designated driver should be as automatic as using a seat belt.”

Find more photos and video of the event on our Facebook page.