In March, a team of CHS students will participate in the Polar Plunge, according to Molly McGuire, co-president of Champions Together and senior. In the Polar Plunge, participants jump into a freezing lake to raise funds.

“Polar Plunge is Special Olympics’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s where they get the most donations and it’s kind of like the best-known community event,” McGuire said.

“There are a bunch of different dates around the state and different areas where you can plunge, but we’re doing ours March 5, which also happens to be the special one for high schoolers around the state through Champions Together, which is kind of like a subsection of Special Olympics.”

The team from the CHS Champions Together will participate in the Indianapolis—Eagle Creek Polar Plunge.

Grace Marchese, co-president of Champions Together and sophomore, said, “The point that they try to make by giving this is not only does it raise money for Special Olympics Indiana, but it also gives each person a little taste of what it’s like for a Special Olympic athlete mobility wise because after you get out of the water you’re very cold and not able to do very many tactile functions.”

Anyone above the age of 12 can participate in this event as long as they raise a minimum amount of 75 dollars on a registered account made on the Polar Plunge website, which is very similar to the method used to raise money for Dance Marathon. High schoolers with identification must raise at least 50 dollars. Those who want to just watch can be admitted for five dollars. Marchese said raising money for this event is not hard.

“My favorite way (to collect funds) is to collect change in a jar. This really adds up, and I usually use (the money) towards these kind of things, or I can also email my friends and family and they are always extremely willing to give me donations,” Marchese said.
Joey Piegsa, Unified Track committee member and senior said he is very excited for this year’s Polar Plunge.

“This will be my first year doing (Polar Plunge),” Piegsa said. “I’ve heard about other people who have done it before saying that it’s the best event of the year because it’s not only for a good cause but also the whole idea of jumping into a lake in March in the morning is just kinda fun.”

McGuire said she was very anxious the first time she participated in the Polar Plunge.

“I remember my first year, I was thinking that this was the last thing I wanted to do. They had to carve out ice of the lake and you would run around it a little, but it’s actually really fun building up the anticipation and running through,” McGuire said. “There are people in the water in these intense suits to keep them from getting hypothermia who high five you and splash you and it makes your legs feel good because all your lactic acid is all jumbled around, so it actually makes you feel physically good and it’s just fun to do. There’s just so much excitement that it just makes it a cool experience.”

Marchese said she encourages everyone to participate.

She said, “Getting involved in Special Olympics was the best decision I’ve ever made. If you can just volunteer once or just participate once in one of the fundraising events, it will change your life.”