Groundhog Day on Hollywood Beach to Benefit Junior Lifeguard Program

Hollywood, Florida -- The 2nd annual Groundhog Day on Hollywood Beach promises to be a good time for a good cause. The highlight of the Feb. 2nd festivities will be a morning ocean swim to benefit the City of Hollywood’s Junior Lifeguard Program. Last year’s event sponsored 10 youngsters who otherwise would not be able to participate in the weeklong summer program, through pledges, donations and proceeds from a breakfast on the beach.

Groundhog Day’s "dine and dip" component includes a buffet breakfast at Ocean Alley, 900 N. Broadwalk at Indiana Street, at 6:45 a.m., followed by a plunge in the Atlantic Ocean at 7:30 a.m. The cost of the breakfast is $10, which includes an event T-shirt for swimmers. Coveted groundhog Beanie Babies will be available for $5, with proceeds benefitting the Junior Lifeguard Program.

The morning festivities also will feature a live radio hookup to Punxsutawney, Pa., where the world’s most famous weather-forecasting groundhog will predict the end of winter, as well as a special appearance by a giant-size version of Punxsutawney Phil.

The celebration will continue later that night with a concert by pop singer-guitarist James Lee Stanley at 10 p.m. at Ocean Alley. Tickets are $15.

Groundhog Day on Hollywood Beach is the brainchild of Jeff Hansen, the publisher of Cahoots, a quarterly publication in Hollywood, and a longtime visitor to the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney. Three years ago, Hansen formed the Hollywood Beach Bum Chapter of the Groundhog Punxsutawney Club, whose membership includes several Hollywood Beach lifeguards.

Hansen promises that this year’s local Groundhog Day observance will be bigger and better than the first.

"It’s a chance to celebrate ‘America’s second favorite holiday,’" he said, quoting the famous Punxsutawney tagline.

Event sponsors are the local Groundhog Club chapter, Cahoots, the Beach District of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the Hollywood Beach Business Association and Ocean Alley.