In one of the coldest and most heartwarming events of the year, Papio South teachers and students took the plunge into Lake Zorinsky on Feb. 8 to raise money for Special Olympics Nebraska.
With a record turnout, the annual Polar Plunge attracted participants from all walks of life. But for Papio South’s students, teachers, and supporters, this year’s plunge stood out for a few reasons beyond just the frigid waters.
“We had a lot more people participate. We had a record high of 1,100 plungers that signed up, which is crazy,” said Taylor Parrack, a junior and one of the event’s organizers. “The wind was really bad this year because they had lost some trees, which made it windier.”
Despite the severe chill, with temperatures hovering just above freezing, the excitement in the air was visible.
For many, the cold water was just another challenge to conquer for a greater cause. Joey Paladino, a freshman participant, shared how different this year felt. “It was really fun, and it is always a good experience. I was already used to it after seven times, so it was just like last year,” Paladino said, referring to the tradition of plunging he’s now become part of.
This year, however, something special happened. The pre-plunge atmosphere was infused with more camaraderie than ever before, according to Ms. Rebecca Warrior, one of the teachers behind the event. “We got together right before the plunge as a group and socialized more than we have in past years, to try to make it more of an event than just showing up, going into the water and being done with it,” Warrior said. “It was fun being able to socialize before we jumped in.”
The outpouring of support from the community was evident, with businesses and local donors contributing prizes to raise even more funds for the school’s Unified Sports program. “We raised over $11,000 from the staff alone, and students raised just over $5,000,” said Mr. Ian Bowers, a teacher who played a crucial role in the behind-the-scenes efforts.
While raising funds was the event’s goal, another outcome was the visibility and awareness it brought to Unified Sports, which provides students with disabilities the chance to participate in athletic activities. “A lot of people found out how the donations work, like how we raise the money, and why we raise money,” Parrack said. “The outcome is for the Unified program to be able to buy jerseys, because we have jerseys from the opening of the school. Buying new jerseys for our kids is exciting.”
Despite the freezing temperatures, participants powered through the plunge itself. “It was about 20 degrees outside. The water was colder than that,” said Bowers, who recalled the ice-cutting preparations that took place at Zorinsky Lake. “It was the top three coldest days it’s ever been [for the plunge],” he added. “It felt like it was in the single digits from the windchill, but it was all worth it.”
Though the event was cold, the warmth of community spirit helped everyone push through the discomfort.
Another teacher, Mr. Kaden Moore, reflected on how this year was unlike the others: “We had a really good base of people. The news spread like wildfire, and I didn’t anticipate for it to be as big as it was. This year we had a kids group and a teacher, and having the two kids take over the student group – it was incredible what they ended up raising.
They raised over $5,000 by themselves. It’s a special group of people that are doing this for a cause like this, it shows you the amount of good in humanity.”
It’s clear that the Polar Plunge is more than just a yearly ritual. It’s a symbol of how a community can come together to support a cause, no matter the cold. And for students and teachers at Papio South, the experience has become something they look forward to every year.
Mr. Moore, reflecting on the event’s success, said: “It was just an incredible community involvement, and I think that’s what I’m most proud of. Everybody in town knew that the Polar Plunge was going on … and the main root of this is awareness and getting people involved with it. Obviously the funds are a nice little perk afterwards. So, it was an awesome cause, an incredible amount of money raised, and we’ll try to surpass it next year.”
With the money raised and the awareness spread, Papio South will keep diving in—both figuratively and literally—for a cause it cares so deeply about.
