By ABBY WILLIAMS
Sheridan High School English Teacher
Each March, Sheridan High School students and staff team up to raise money for a great cause. Polar Plunge is an annual event sponsored by Special Olympics Indiana and now includes specific high school days for this fun event.
On Friday, March 3, high school students from all over the state gathered at Eagle Creek Park. Each of these students had raised at least $85 for the opportunity to jump into freezing cold Eagle Creek Reservoir. As of publication, Sheridan’s team had raised $5,645 and included 51 participants, one of the biggest teams around.
I love Polar Plunge for so many reasons. The first year we participated, I wasn’t sure what to expect: I was so excited when our students ran with it, raised over $7,000, and had a blast on that day. The enthusiasm our Sheridan students have about this event is definitely my favorite part of it. If you know teenagers, they are sometimes difficult to motivate and they don’t always get excited about the things we want them to. But, they are excited about this! They love the chance to get out in the cold and do something kind of wild while raising money for such a good cause.
Another reason I love this event is because it brings together a diverse group of students. Sheridan High School is proud of its special education offerings; we do a super job educating all our kids, including those students with special needs. On this day, the team we bring to the park includes kids of all abilities, including some students who do participate in Special Olympics-sponsored sports. The way they work together to be a team is magical.
I also love participating in Polar Plunge because it shows our students, kids who attend a very small school in a small town, that they can make a big impact. We bring one of the biggest teams and we raise a lot of money. Even though we are small, we really bring it on this day to help others.
Finally, I love Polar Plunge for what it offers me personally. Jumping into a cold lake isn’t fun in a traditional sense, but it is so very fun when surrounded by excited kids, caring co-workers, and a community of like-minded freezing cold people. It’s even more fun because of the first responders who volunteer to make sure everyone stays safe in the water, taking the worries off the teachers and allowing us to have fun with the kids. Being a teacher is great all-around, but heading back to school on the bus, wearing warm, dry clothes, after such a cool event is one of the best teacher days I can imagine.
If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved with Polar Plunge or Special Olympics Indiana, visit soindiana.org.