“3… 2… 1… Plunge!” the emcee shouted into the mic. Sounds of splashing and squeals of how cold the water was filled the lively atmosphere as small groups of students jumped together into the pool filled with cold water.
On January 31, 134 Haven students traveled to Citizens Bank Park in the heart of Philadelphia to take part in the “Cool Schools” Polar Plunge, which features teams of K-12 students who plunge and raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics together, according to the Special Olympics website.
Participants had the opportunity to jump into a freezing cold pool of water and mingle with people from other schools. They also could play games like cornhole in an area towards the entrance, and some stands provided sandwiches and snacks, and Polar Plunge t-shirts, which participants could obtain with red and green tickets.
The plunge is a fundraiser that raises money to help with Special Olympics programming, such as Unified Sports.
At Haven, each student was required to donate a minimum of $25 to the cause. Strath Haven raised a total of $6,857, according to Life Skills and Autistic Support teacher Ms. Sarah Holt.
CORRECTION: This story and video was updated on Friday, February 7 to clarify details of the fundraiser.
