HAMBURG – Special Olympics New York continues its three-day Polar Plunge celebration with the Cool School Challenge on Friday, where students, teachers, and administrators from schools across Western New York will brave the icy waters to support local Special Olympics athletes. The event promotes school spirit, teamwork, and inclusion, drawing hundreds of enthusiastic young plungers every year.
Over 1,400 from 32 schools are registered – from classrooms, student clubs, Unified teams, and entire school districts. The money raised will help fund both community and unified teams to support 48,000 Special Olympics New York athletes statewide.
East Aurora High School currently leads the pack with 102 plungers raising more than $24,000, followed by Iroquois Unified with 61 plungers raising $21,000 to date.
This year, thanks to scholarship sponsor First Student, four scholarships will be awarded to four local students. The top two fundraisers—Ethan Spino (Iroquois) and Ryan Kidd (Lake Shore Middle School)—are each in the running for a $1,000 award, having raised more than $2,500 each. Scholarships will be presented on stage inside the heated tent before the 12:00 PM Plunge.
WHEN:
Friday, December 5
• Registration: 10:00AM–11:30 AM
• Plunge: 12:00 PM
AND
• Registration: 2:00PM–3:30 PM
• Plunge: 4:00 PM
WHERE:
Woodlawn Beach State Park
3580 Lake Shore Road
Buffalo, NY 14219
COMING UP
On Saturday, December 6th Special Olympics New York Polar Plunge series will conclude with the Community Plunge. Last year, the Buffalo Polar Plunge brought out 2,000 participants and raised an impressive $575,000—cementing its place as the largest and most successful Polar Plunge in New York State.
Individuals or teams interested in joining this year’s event can register at BuffaloPolarPlunge.com.
For more information, please contact Erica Raepple at eraepple@nyso.org or 716-909-6444.
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About Special Olympics New York
Special Olympics New York is one of the largest state chapters in the country, serving more than 48,000 athletes across New York with year-round sports training, athletic competition, and health screenings. The organization also partners with more than 375 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without disabilities compete as teammates. All Special Olympics New York programs are offered at no cost to athletes, their families or caregivers. The organization has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.com and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, making it one of the most trusted charities in the business nationally. For additional information about Special Olympics New York, to learn more about getting involved, or to make a donation, visit www.specialolympicsNY.org.
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