Special Olympics NY helps fund schools’ Unified Clubs, including at Pine Valley where students can participate in Unified Bowling, Bocce and Basketball, teams that have grown over the past five years. Pine Valley Speech Language Pathologist and Unified Team Coach Julia Santini, said some of the students in the club had heard other teachers talking about the plunge and wanted to participate as a nice challenge and a nice way to give back to Special Olympics NY, because of them providing funds for the club. Altogether Pine Valley’s Unified Club raised $2,322 for Special Olympics NY.

“It seemed like a challenge,” said Sadie Kruszka, a member of the Unified Club. “I heard a teacher talking about how she does plunges and wanted to try something new.”

Santini noted that the club would not be able to participate in the Polar Plunge or any other activities that they do without the support of Pine Valley’s administration and the transportation team.

“Our administration is beyond supportive and our transportation team bent over backwards to get us where we needed to be,” Santini said. “Not all schools have that.”

Principal Brandi Meacham added to that, saying that students often come from four or five locations to participate in the district’s Unified Club. Sometimes this does mean students have to be pulled out of classes early, and Santini also noted the support from teachers and staff as well. Besides getting students to club activities physically, Santini said the Polar Plunge also required students to step out and challenge themselves to talk with people, as each student was required to raise $150 to go participate. All of Pine Valley’s students were successful in this regard, and attended and participated in what Santini referred to as a magical event, praising the organization of it by Erica Raepple with Special Olympics NY. Organization of the overall event included activities for students while they waited to take the plunge, such as a DJ and dancing, and having a heated tent and special guests.

All of the funds raised go directly to Special Olympics NY, which helps to fund all Unified Clubs in the local region, and Santini said this is why it was important to Pine Valley’s students to do this.

“We wanted to support them because they support us,” Santini said. “Without their support we wouldn’t have this program, or be able to implement it and show the need for it. There are many students that cannot participate in regular sports and this is an opportunity for both disabled and non-disabled students to form friendships they wouldn’t make otherwise.”

Additionally, she said the students were surprised at the amount they were able to raise for Special Olympics NY and are already saying they can do more next year.

“We raised a lot of money, but I think we could raise more,” Kruszka said. “It goes to a good

Special Olympics NY provides funding for the region’s Unified Clubs, so Pine Valley wanted to participate to give back to them. Submitted photo

cause.”

Other student members also expressed their surprise. Additionally, they said raising this amount of funds means a lot to them, as it goes to a good cause.

“The money goes to a good cause and it seemed like fun,” James Maltbie said. “We raised more than I expected. The donations from the community are appreciated.”

This was Pine Valley’s second year participating in the Polar Plunge, but only the first year students were able to actually take the plunge as the year before it was deemed too dangerous to do with the weather, though they were still able to do a form of it using spray from a hose.

“We were not able to do the traditional plunge last year, so the students wanted to do it this year and were actually able to take the plunge,” Santini said. “All of the students say they want to do it again, and we even have a bus driver and some other staff members that say they want to do it.”

Unified Club member Skyler Cooper added to that, saying they wanted to do the plunge this year.

“We tried to plunge last year, but couldn’t because of the weather,” Cooper said. “I wanted to

actually plunge this year.”

Two other club members, Braden Chitwood and Hunter Colvin agreed that the plunge was something they really wanted to do as well. Colvin noted that raising funds through the plunge allows them to help others through a program that has helped them.

“I wanted to raise money – Special Olympics programs have helped me out for years,” Colvin said. “I’m surprised that we raised that much, I wasn’t expecting that. Our group used teamwork to succeed in fundraising.”

For Chitwood, the ability to help others is also the reason raising money and participating in the plunge is something they wanted to do.

” I always wanted to participate in a plunge,” Chitwood said. ” It is nice knowing that the money helps to provide opportunities for students in our area.”

When asked what being in Unified Sports and Pine Valley’s Unified Club meant to them, students agreed that these sports bring people together that do not normally connect, and are less exclusive than other sports. It also allows students to commit to something after school and raise awareness about disabilities, along with letting students get involved and be included. From a coaching perspective, Santini said she loves to see these students learn sensitivity to one another and see them talk and interact and become friends with those they would not normally, citing one student with significant needs who walks through the halls and has many students who say hello to her and know her name.

From an administrator perspective, Meacham said the club helps to open their eyes as well.

“Unified as a whole, for the administrative team that has to make decisions for all students, it opens the eyes of the faculty, staff and students and gives students a natural opportunity to make friends and get involved,” Meacham said. “We see students participating together more often now in places like gym or art classes, and we even have a club of fourth graders now that are writing letters for adults with disabilities. It has become a way of life for the Pine Valley community, which is cool to see.”