Kara Dardeno, a local lawyer and a member of the Somerville Rotary participated in a Polar Plunge to help end polio on February 11. The Plunge, from Gloucester’s Long Beach, is a regional Rotary fundraiser aiding in the fight against polio. Since 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases annually to fewer than 650 cases reported so far for 2011. Local clubs like the one in Somerville raise money every year to help with this effort, and Kara was willing to jump into the ocean to demonstrate her commitment. “I was truly honored to represent the Somerville Rotary by physically taking the plunge! It was also so wonderful to see that many members of the Somerville community contributed to the cause,” said Dardeno. This year’s event raised $1,693.