A group of students from Tyrone High School participated in the seventh annual Polar Plunge at Canoe Creek State Park on February 3rd to raise money for the Special Olympics.

While several days have gotten as warm as the lower 70s recently, the “plungers” had no such luck on February 3rd, when the temperatures hovered in the teens and 14 inches of ice covered Canoe Creek Lake.

TAHS students Maria Myers, Brianna Decker, Levi Blazer, McKenna Yaudes, Elise Gailey, Taylor Greene, and Andrew Lang joined about 450 others who jumped into 38 degree water at Canoe Creek State Park in Holidaysburg.

The water was about three feet deep, and a group of volunteers had to cut through the ice just so participants could reach the icy water.

“The Polar Plunge was fun. They had to take a huge slab of ice out of the start of the lake in order for the people to jump in,” said senior Andrew Lang.

The Tyrone students combined to raise $410 for the Special Olympics, and many of the students plan to attend the Polar Plunge again next year into the icy water.

Overall, the event raised $120,000 for the Special Olympics.

“It is a great cause, and I had fun times with my buds,” said sophomore Taylor Greene.

Tyrone High School started to participate in the Polar Plunge last year because many of the people in the Special Olympics have to pay out of pocket, so they wanted to help out.

“I have a cousin who qualified to compete in the Special Olympics at the national level.  The benefits of working hard to train and succeed is priceless,” said health tech teacher Christie Taylor.

If you would like to participate next year in the Polar Plunge to help raise money for the Special Olympics you can sign up with HOSA or have your own club participate in it.

“I wish more people from our school did the Polar Plunge because it was a fun experience,” said sophomore Brianna Decker.