On Friday, February 28th, Cathedral High School took a group of eleven students and two teachers to Eagle Creek Reservoir where over 14 high schools, and 500 high schoolers jumped into the freezing cold water to raise awareness for Special Olympics Indiana. Each high schooler had to raise at least $99 with the majority raising more.
The Polar Plunge in Indiana is an annual event that encourages high school students to brave freezing waters for a good cause, Special Olympics Indiana. The event is held in various locations throughout the state and it invites individuals, teams, and families to dive into icy lakes and pools during the winter months.
Each year, thousands of participants take part in the plunge, raising funds for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The event not only promotes community involvement but also highlights commitment to fostering inclusion and raising awareness for Special Olympics. Despite the frigid water temperatures, the Polar Plunge is still a popular and heartwarming tradition.
Cathedrals club Champions Together is a club that partners with Special Olympics Indiana in multiple unified sports and activities. The club participates in many different events each year with Polar Plunge being one of them. With their partnership with the Special Olympics, Champions Together raised money for Special Olympics Indiana through the Polar Plunge. The group of students and adults that attended the Polar Plunge consisted of the club members, moderator, and friends.
Brother Matt Rehagen, math teacher and Champions Together club moderator, attended the Polar Plunge. While being both an organizer and a participant, Br. Matt got to see the experience in many ways. He said, “I thought the Polar Plunge was a great team building exercise that brought lots of the Champions Together members together. As a team, we were able to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Indiana. It was overall such a positive experience for a great cause.”
The day was full of games, dance breaks, face paint, and of course the plunge. With over 700 people in attendance, the energy was through the roof. Brother Matt said, “There was so much energy around because so many high schools came and there was a little pep rally before to bring the energy up.”
The team of Cathedral participants raised $1,732! This amount alone is enough to fulfill the Champions Together yearly goal of fundraising for Special Olympics Indiana.
Each year, Cathedral’s Champions Together aims to raise at least $1,500 throughout the entire year.
Mr. Cole Hepp, Religion teacher and Freshman Moderator, was a participant in the Polar Plunge. He said, “One of my favorite parts of the day was seeing the Cathedral students coming together for a good cause. Seeing them come together with all of the high schools and having Cathedral as a part of that was a really neat experience.”
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Mr. Hepp explained his thoughts and feelings about the plunge itself. He said, “I think it was an adrenaline rush when the Cathedral group lined up and ran into the water. I thought it was awesome that the Pike fire dive team was out there to high five everyone, but it was definitely a ‘get me out of the water’ feeling. As you can imagine it is coldest when you are in there, and refreshing when you get out.”
