There is more to the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Northeast Polar Plunge than jumping into cold water. The three-day event at Montage Mountain Resort in Scranton has a party atmosphere, with a DJ, games, the Chicken Dance and other activities.<\/p>\n
The school portion of the event has grown to two days, Jan. 29-30. The public plunges Jan. 31 and spectators are welcome.<\/p>\n
The money stays local to help more than 300 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities enjoy sports and compete, sometimes on an international level.<\/p>\n
Students are doing their part, with some schools reaching record numbers in the fundraising contest.<\/p>\n
How polar is the plunge? The water is usually a few degrees warmer than the air. A 4-feet-deep pool, large enough for eight to 10 people, is carved from snow and fitted with a pool liner.<\/p>\n
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The current top Polar Plunge fundraisers at Abington Heights High School are Kenadi Lotz, Ella Musgrave, Kale Bonnewell, Maddie Rowlands and Addy Ryan. Bonnewell is a sophomore. The others are juniors. (COURTESY OF ABINGTON HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL)<\/p>\n
Special Olympian Gerard Wazeter will plunge again this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the party and even the cold water. It\u2019s fun to see everyone and I hope I can feel my toes,\u201d he said via email.<\/p>\n
Wazeter, 35, of Trucksville, competes in track and field events and bowling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love Special Olympics. It\u2019s always fun. I love to see my friends,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Special Olympics skier Janna Novatski, \u00a0of South Abington Twp., doesn\u2019t take the plunge, but she appreciates the fundraising. Last year she competed in Italy, where she enjoyed the hotels, seeing Italian houses and drinking cappuccino.<\/p>\n
For the public plunge, Plunge Town activities begin at noon and the opening ceremony begins at 2 p.m. The minimum donation is $75 for ages 14 and up and $50 for younger children.<\/p>\n
Cheering, or jeering, and taking part in the activities, is free. Those \u201ctoo chicken\u201d to plunge may be given a yellow feather boa and asked to do the Chicken Dance.<\/p>\n
You can register on site.<\/p>\n
Schools do the Cool Schools Plunge. Most are Unified Champion schools, where students with and without intellectual disabilities participate in sports together. The goal is to foster social inclusion and help ensure that students with intellectual disabilities feel welcome.<\/p>\n
So far, there are 268 people signed up for Cool Schools and 101 people for the public day.<\/p>\n
The high schools schools sending students and staff are: Carbondale Area, Dallas, Delaware Valley, East Stroudsburg North, Lackawanna Trail, Lakeland, Mid Valley, North Pocono, Riverside, Western Wayne, Wyoming Area, Wyoming Valley West and the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit\u2019s SOAR & STRIVE programs. Middle schools can take part, but none have signed up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe schools are competing a lot harder this year for their peer-to-peer fundraising,\u201d said Heather Schreiner, regional executive director of Special Olympics.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday, Abington Heights was ahead locally, with $11,298, which will probably put them among the top schools in the state. The school is sending around 79 students and staff.<\/p>\n
West Scranton is in second place, showing \u201cgrit and determination,\u201d Schreiner said. The students have raised $5,582 so far. That is already the most the school has collected for past Polar Plunges.<\/p>\n
Wilkes-Barre Area and Hanover Area aren\u2019t plunging, but already raised $4,804 and $3,140, respectively, with their own events.<\/p>\n
Special Olympics hopes to surpass the event total of $102,000 raised last year.<\/p>\n
There are around 15,000 Special Olympians in Pennsylvania, taking part in sports, and other activities.<\/p>\n
The website for the Polar Plunges plungepa.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you go<\/p>\n What: Registration is still open for the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Northeast Polar Plunge fundraiser.<\/p>\n Where: Montage Mountain Resorts, Scranton.<\/p>\n When: Jan. 29-31.<\/p>\n