BY MOLLY NICHOLS ‘23
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PHOTO CREDIT JIMMY TERRY, JAMES KROPP, ASHTYN ANDERSON & AMY FROM SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO
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TAKING THE PLUNGE together
Raising over $25,000 the community came together for an unforgettable event
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6 1. DEVON TERRY, drenched, climbs out of the water. 2. TEACHER MARIANNE BUEHLER smiles as she runs out of freezing water. 3. ANNIKA TANNER ‘22, Josie West ‘21, and Tierney Kohl ‘24 are all dedicated to the girls swim team and a good cause. 4.RONON KRAUSS ‘23 floats his way back to the shore. 5. FRESHMEN LILY BRUSTKER, Alexandra Hatizdakis, and Elise Holt sprint into the water. 6. AVA FITZMARTIN ‘23, Gabby Elliot ‘21, Julia Davis ‘21, and Ava Rae Chilcott ‘24 cheer on the plungers.
On a snowy Saturday morning, April 17th, the project unified Special Olympics Club along with hundreds of students, teachers, staff, coaches, and administrators gathered at the Aurora Reservoir for the polar Plunge. An event that raises money for Special Olympics Colorado and where the mission is singular; plunging into the icy waters to support a worthy cause. “It’s amazing,” Girls Division head Mr. Tim Bauer ‘88 said. “It’s like nothing else I’ve ever experienced,” Bauer told RJTV reporters while attempting to warm up post plunge. “We were able to do the plunge as we normally would, except we spread it out over a lot longer period of time,” Special Olympics CEO and president Megan Scremin said of the organization’s flexibility during COVID-19. Special Olympics club moderator Marianne Buehler praised the teamwork of the Regis community. “The kids did such a great job. I’m so proud of our students and I’m so proud of all the staff that helped me. Ms. McDermott was a huge help,” Buehler said. In total between the six Polar Plunges they ran this year, Scremin says Special Olympics Colorado raised close to half a million dollars. Regis Jesuit Polar Plunge raised more than twenty six thousand dollars alone. “We just did so much,” Buehler said “And to see Mr. Tricco here and Mr. Bauer and some of our admin, it was amazing.” The temperature was low, but spirits were high as many Regis Jesuit teams plunged into the icy waters. “There was a lot of energy. It was pretty cold, but it was a lot of fun,” sophomore Cole Harman said. The biggest club at this school came through with a huge impact once again proving amidst a pandemic year their mission to support unified sports is still strong.
CLUB SPOTLIGHT ELEVATE 15
