There are more than 360 jumpers signed up to take the ultimate plunge during the 15th annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump on Saturday.

The jump, organized by Jamie Waters and his wife Brenda, is a fundraising event that helps children, individuals and organizations in need. It began with 11 jumpers and has grown in popularity ever since.

The fundraiser steadily grew in the 1990s, and by 2002 it had 112 participants who raised $15,000. Last year, there were more than 285 people who dared to take the big splash into the freezing-cold water of the lake and according to organizers, more than $60 thousand was raised thanks to the many businesses, organizations and people who donated their time and money.

Brenda says she and her husband came up with the idea to host a jump on Goodyear Lake while thinking about taking a second trip to the St. Lawrence Polar Bear Plunge. We asked ourselves why we needed to travel so far and decided it would be a good idea to have our own event, says Brenda.

According to Brenda, the first was a ``flop.’’ However, once we got the word out about what we were doing for the following year we were able to get a lot more people involved, says Brenda.

The annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump keeps evolving because recipients of money raised from the event and their families typically come back to help raise money for others in need to show their gratitude, says Brenda. Brenda says she also believes businesses and individuals like to contribute to the benefit because the money is distributed locally.

According to Brenda, the event does not just include local community members anymore. She says participants come from places such as Herkimer, Albany and as far as Missouri.

Dana Jones, daughter of Brenda and Jamie, says she now lives in Silverdale, Wash., and has only missed one year of participating in the event since it began. Jones, 23, says she was 12 years old when her family first organized the fundraiser, which began with close friends and family.

``The jump to the Waters family is a tradition and each year we have more members of our family jumping,’’ says Jones. ``Besides my father jumping, all four of us children jump and even extended family such as aunts, uncles, and cousins.’’

The rush you get right before taking the plunge is unexplainable, says Jones.

``It’s like that feeling you get right before a roller coaster is going to plunge down from its highest point _ you never know what to expect, but you know it’s going to be exciting,’’ she says.

Knowing that something as simple as jumping into a frozen lake and swimming a short distance can help so many people makes the whole jump worth it, says Jones.

``If just the thought of helping others is not enough to convince you that the jump is worth it, the joy that is on the faces of the recipients (when receiving their checks) definitely tops it off,’’ says Jones. ``I used to look up to my father as being just a great role model and father, but now I can say that on top of those aspects he is like a guardian angel to all those individuals in need.’’

Brenda says she does not personally take the leap into the frigid water, but says it amazes her how many people do it without giving it much thought at all.

``One man told me his mind keeps saying don’t jump, but his heart keeps saying yes,’’ says Brenda, who says that those words would be good to put on bumper stickers.

Brenda says people have different reasons for wanting to participate. Some do it for the children while some like the thrill, she says. It is like giving birth, it is painful at the time, but you are so happy you did it in the end, says Brenda.

Jumping will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the backside of Goodyear Lake in the town of Milford. Sign ups will start at 9 a.m. at the Portlandville Methodist Church. For directions, see the ‘’directions’’ link at www.pbjump.com.

An awards banquet and dinner will follow the jump. It will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Moose Lodge in Oneonta. Members of the public are invited and there will be musical entertainment and a check presentation at 6 p.m.

This year’s recipients include Aiden Kuehn, 5, with neurofibromatosis; Connor Watson, 5, who suffered traumatic brain injury; Cody VanBuren, 10, who has Hirschsprug’s Disease; Morgan McCall, 9, who has Cystic Fibrosis; Jessica Dresser, 16, who has Olfactory Neuroblastomo, the Catskill Area Hospice, the Portlandville Methodist Church, United Way and $1,000 will be donated to the Milford Fire Department for their continued support year after year. Some advice for first-time jumpers:

According to Jones, jumpers should have waivers signed and ready to be handed in during registration. It is best to have a total money count written on the sponsor sheet before signing up and have all money facing the same way, she says. If planning to jump with a partner, Jones suggests signing in together or having their packet of information when registering.

When getting to the lake, be prepared to wait because there are a lot of jumpers and the line can be very long, says Jones. Jones says participants should dress warmly, and suggests wearing warm clothes up until about 30 jumpers away from being called.

``Strip down a layer or two of clothes depending on how many you are wearing and get your body used to the weather temperature outside,’’ she says.

Jones says jumpers can wear anything from a bathing suit to shorts and a t-shirt. The heavier the clothing the more weighed down one will feel when swimming, she says.

Jones says she would recommend wearing sandals, preferable ones that are not going to fall off when hitting the cold water. Water shoes also work she says.

People tend to psych themselves out before jumping, says Jones.

``Just remember what you are jumping for,’’ she says.

``After 10 years of jumping, I still psych myself out. It is the greatest feeling when you get out of the water and realize that you were a part of making someone better.’’

Jones says watching the award ceremony is the best part of the whole event. ``Make sure to bring some tissues if you cry easily,’’ she says.