february 2023
manchester, nh
manchester, nh
New Hampshire Special Olympics’ Polar Plunge is an annual fundraiser to support the organization. Plungers, mostly high schoolers, raise funds to plunge into the Atlantic ocean in the middle of winter. Stacy Edgar, a high school teacher in the Manchester school district, told me that she raised more funds that most of her students, except for one, whom she rewarded with free homework pass.
Before the polar plunge, teams of high schoolers celebrated in the indoor venue, a ballroom along the Hampton beach, which was filled with colorful 90s-themed banners and disco balls. The high schoolers participated in a dance contest and a costume contest before plunging into the water. Behind the scenes, volunteers ran the event, from set up, to prepping warm sandwiches and soup for the plungers return to, to keeping track of funds, to handing out towels, to documenting the event, to clean up.
Before the polar plunge, teams of high schoolers celebrated in the indoor venue, a ballroom along the Hampton beach, which was filled with colorful 90s-themed banners and disco balls. The high schoolers participated in a dance contest and a costume contest before plunging into the water. Behind the scenes, volunteers ran the event, from set up, to prepping warm sandwiches and soup for the plungers return to, to keeping track of funds, to handing out towels, to documenting the event, to clean up.
