Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Do you want to plunge into frigid waters to help firefighters fighting cancer?

Neighbors United, an organization founded to help Michigan firefighters and their families impacted by cancer, is hosting their second annual Plunge for the Red, a polar plunge, at the New Haven Fire Department on Feb. 8 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Joe Warne, President of Neighbors United and a Macomb Twp. firefighter, said the participants won’t be jumping into a lake, but the water will still be cold.

“We use a drafting tank instead of a lake,” he said. “It’s freezing cold.”

Plunge for the Red is in honor of New Haven firefighter Captain Paul McGartland, who died after a battle with cancer in 2023.

According to the Neighbors United website, the group has donated nearly $1 million to firefighters and their families affected by cancer.

“While most do not know, studies have shown that firefighters are up to 25% more likely to contract cancer than any other profession,” the website said. “New home materials are made of mostly plastic and engineered lumber and when these materials burn, it puts carcinogens in the air that are absorbed into the body. Cancer doesn’t just attack the individual, cancer devastates families, friends and colleagues. Together we can make a difference and Neighbors United is on a mission to help all those affected in the fire service by cancer.”

The registration is $30 per person and includes a customized towel to dry off with. There is also a pancake breakfast before the event, from 9 a.m. until noon, and hotdogs and refreshments after. Pancakes can be purchased with a small donation.

September will have the 6th annual Walk for the Red, a four-day walk from Macomb County to Cascade Township. The starting point for this year's event may change, based on construction scheduled on the fire house. On Sept. 5, the group will walk through Howell, honoring Howell Area Fire Department Lieutenant Steve Moor. Moor died of pancreatic cancer in 2022.

Donations can be made online, including the option to have a monthly $7 donation. Sponsorships are also available for Walk for the Red, ranging between $1,000 to $10,000.

For more information about the organization, registration and other ways to get involved, go to the link below.

(photo credit: Neighbors United/Walk for the Red)