Plunging for a Cause

The National Honor Society participates in the 8th Annual Town of Brookhaven Polar Plunge in Mt. Sinai

Plunging+for+a+Cause

It can be reasonably said that not just anyone would voluntarily run into a large body of water when it is winter-like weather outside. In fact, when the weather is sub 40 degrees, most people are bundled up in their winter gear: hats, gloves, coats, and scarfs. However, this past weekend, this what not the case. If you were at Cedar Beach, you would see hundreds of people, dressed in nothing but their bathing suits, running and diving into the cool, 57 degree water of the Long Island Sound. Despite, the water being unsuitable for swimming and other water activities, people that were running to the water were all smiles.

Our school’s National Honor Society, as well as many other schools, participated in the 8th Annual Town of Brookhaven Polar Plunge in Mt. Sinai. All of the money that was raised in this event will be donated to the Special Olympics. For those who are unaware, the Special Olympics is global organization that seeks to offer athletic opportunities to those with certain intellectual disabilities. There are approximately 4.9 million athletes who belong to this organization, ranging from the very young to adults. The overall goal of the organization is to empower people with intellectual disabilities through participation in sports. Additionally, the Special Olympics group strongly advocates for people to get involved. Through sports, this generous organization believes that it will help highlight the various skills, dignities, and successes of its athletes and bring communities together all while bringing awareness to people with intellectual disabilities. People can support the Special Olympics by getting involved in various ways. People can donate money, conduct fundraisers, sign up as coaches, or become a volunteer.

Our National Honor Society plunging name is professionally called the “PMHS Puffins”. This year, our team consisted of 14 participants who all bravely and successfully plunged. Having personally been there, I will openly speak on behalf of the team and say that it was cold, frosty, frigid, skin-numbing, and whatever other words you could think of to convey a sense of arctic chill. However, as mentioned, we did not seem to mind the weather and just simply had fun and enjoyed the experience. It was truly a rewarding experience to partake in this event. The Polar Plunging motto is “Freezin for a Reason” and it accurately describes this occasion. We were not only able to have an exhilarating experience with friends, we participated in this event to bring attention to those with intellectual disabilities. This is the exact goal of the Special Olympics movement.  

Our team captain, Mrs. Sweda- history and AP Psychology teacher- led the PMHS Puffins during the event. With her help, as well as many other students and donors, our team was able to raise over $1,110 for this charity. In total, the event raised approximately $100,000 from all of the teams and donors. It is important to continue to support this cause. Next year, the team hopes to pass on this tradition to the following group of honor society members in order to continue supporting this noble and honorable organization.