Dr. Richard Bassett, who is presently the Rotary District 7980 Assistant District Governor and a past president of the North Haven Rotary Club, organized a small group of hearty souls to join him for his second annual plunge into icy water on January 1st in order to raise money to fight breast cancer. The Rotary club’s plunge on New Year’s Day is their alternative to the fundraiser held in the numbing waters off Lighthouse Point in New Haven which is earmarked for that local park. Since the insidious disease has impacted various members of the club, their common goal is to support the ongoing efforts to defeat it. Guy Casella, this year’s club president who participated in the chilly activity along with his son’s girl friend, Katie Moss, announced that the six member team has nearly reached its goal of $3,000, but pledges continue to come in, and donations are still being accepted. The other three brave champions for a cure included the organizer’s son, Adam Bassett, as well as Leo Cegelka, and Jonathan Martinek. A warm reception was held at the home of last year’s club president, Rick DiNorscia. Heather L. Stocking of the New Haven chapter of the ACS had told the club, “The American Cancer Society relies on donations like this to help fund our breast cancer research, education, advocacy, and patient services; and every dollar raised is a step closer to a cure.”Checks may be made out to the “North Haven Rotary Club,” or directly to the “American Cancer Society,” and mailed to NHRC Plunge, P.O. Box 202, North Haven, CT 06473. For further information on the cause, please go to www.cancer.org/fightbreastcancer

Text courtesy of David Marchesseault, Rotary PR Chairman / Photo by Jennifer Bassett