PORTSMOUTH — Families of two Portsmouth residents who are both battling a rare form of bone cancer were overwhelmed by the support that greeted them at the New Year’s Day polar plunge.

“I have no idea how many people are here, but what I’ve been told by other people this is the largest turnout they’ve ever had,” Chris Pierce Farley said of the annual event held at Island Park Beach Friday.

This year was a little different, as the event served as a fund-raiser for Ms. Farley’s son, Matthew Pierce, and another resident with Ewing’s sarcoma, Mary Tobin. Both have surgeries scheduled for next week.

The Beachcomber restaurant hosted the event with support from the Portsmouth Business Association (PBA) and the Portsmouth High School Community Service Club. Many family members, friends and supporters of Matt and Mary came out for the plunge, which helped swell attendance and keep Park Avenue jammed with cars.

“It all came together so quickly because the high school didn’t plan this until toward the last day of their break,” said Ms. Farley, who credited senior Zoe Miller of the PHS Community Service Club for getting students involved.

“This is awesome, because I’m seeing a lot of people that I haven’t seen since he’s been diagnosed — people who have followed it on Facebook but with whom I haven’t really connected. It brings us energy,” she said.

Mary’s mother, Ann Tobin, was also humbled by the turnout.

Ms. Tobin, Mary and other family members were down by the shoreline, taking it all in. Mary’s little brother, Aidan, took the plunge himself. (Ms. Tobin said she wanted to, but she was feeling ill.)

“It means everything, Ms. Tobin said of the large crowd. “She’s had so much support in town.”

Both Mary and Matt work at Clements’ Marketplace, and the store has “gone out of its way” to assist the families, she said.

“She has surgery on Monday, so this is like the last hurrah before that. We just keep moving,” said Ms. Tobin.

As for Matt, Ms. Farley said he’s “doing great.”

“Right now he’s at his father’s in Acushnet. He’ll be back in Portsmouth by Monday. We have pre-op on Thursday and then he has surgery,” she said.

Inordinate number of cases

The community support has led to more awareness about the disease, said Ms. Farley, who hadn’t heard of Ewing’s sarcoma when Matt was first diagnosed on Sept. 15, 2015.

“I had to Google it, I didn’t know how to spell it,” she said.

Since then she’s become alarmed by the number of Ewing’s sarcoma diagnoses in this area — an inordinate amount considering the disease’s rarity.

“Having two active cases right now in crazy, plus there’s the girl in Fall River who recently passed away,” she said, referring to 17-year-old Jenelle "Nelly" Eaton, who died in November. “There was a boy in Little Compton who had it, a little boy in Bristol, plus three other cases in Portsmouth. So it’s a little bit crazy for something so rare.”

Ms. Farley said there are “weird connections” between Matt’s and Mary’s cases. Both worked at Clements’ and Mary grew up playing on Long Meadow Road, which is where the Farleys now live.

“But they don’t think it’s environmental; it’s definitely genetic,” said Ms. Farley.

Health officials, she said, have suggested the family talk to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “once we get through this and we can focus a little bit more on that aspect of it.”

50/50 raffle

After the swimmers warmed up by the bonfire, many of the revelers gathered back at The Beachcomber further up on Park Avenue. There they enjoyed a free buffet lunch and took part in a 50/50 raffle. Both the food and raffle items were donated by area restaurants and businesses.

Ms. Farley said she was grateful for all the residents and businesses who rallied in support of Matt and Mary.

“It’s pretty cool to be living in a town like this,” she said.

View more photos of the plunge below. All photos by Jim McGaw.