Freezin' for a Reason
Winter is right around the corner, but the cold weather will not stop this cause from hitting the beach.
St. Bonaventure University students and faculty have come together to create team Buoyant Bonnies to raise money for the Polar Plunge, a fundraiser leading up to a Dec. 6 dip in frigid Lake Erie. The money raised helps provide more than 47,000 Special Olympic athletes in New York state with year-round training and exercise, so they can compete at no cost.
The Polar Plunge takes place Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Hamburg (N.Y.) Town Beach.
This is the third year that the Polar Plunge has partnered with the St. Bonaventure campus. In 2007 and 2008, the School of Education hosted the event. This year, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) joined in hopes of making the event even bigger.
Not only is SIFE one of the largest service organizations on campus, but it also ranks in the top 5 percent of all other SIFE teams nationwide. SIFE’s main service project is its economic development zone in the Bahamas. The group plans to use some of the money raised during the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics in the Bahamas.
“We want to tie the two projects together,” said Katie Peek, an integrated marketing communications graduate student. “It would be great to help both causes.”
Oct. 14 marked the Polar Plunge Kickoff at St. Bonaventure. SIFE and the School of Education sold knit gloves for $5 and set up a dunk tank outside of the Reilly Center. Dr. Jim Mahar, associate professor in the School of Business, was one of the professors to volunteer for a turn at the outdoor dunk tank on a day when the temperature dipped into the 30s.
“Being cold for a while is a small price to pay to help,” said Mahar. “The Plunge and SBU SIFE’s fundraising is just another way that SBU works with other groups.”
Mahar wasn’t the only faculty member “Freezin’ for a Reason” at the event. Physical education associate professor Dr. Paula Scraba, who has worked with the Special Olympics since 1976, also volunteered to be dunked.
“Being part of the dunk was just a small contribution to support the efforts of our students on campus with their goal to raise funds for the Polar Plunge,” said Scraba.
While frozen professors were being dunked, SIFE provided hot chocolate and coffee for $1. SIFE also sold bracelets and held a raffle. All the money raised during the event went directly to SIFE’s Buoyant Bonnies team.
The Buoyant Bonnies currently have 71 members and the group hopes to eventually sign up 100 for the Lake Erie plunge. With the $2,000 they have already raised, the Buoyant Bonnies have raised the most money of all Western New York teams participating in the event. But they are not stopping there. The goal is to raise at least $10,000 this year. Donations can be taken up to a week after the event.
For more information on the Polar Plunge, visit www.polarplunge.kintera.org/wny/sbusife.
St. Bonaventure University students and faculty have come together to create team Buoyant Bonnies to raise money for the Polar Plunge, a fundraiser leading up to a Dec. 6 dip in frigid Lake Erie. The money raised helps provide more than 47,000 Special Olympic athletes in New York state with year-round training and exercise, so they can compete at no cost.
The Polar Plunge takes place Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Hamburg (N.Y.) Town Beach.
This is the third year that the Polar Plunge has partnered with the St. Bonaventure campus. In 2007 and 2008, the School of Education hosted the event. This year, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) joined in hopes of making the event even bigger.
Not only is SIFE one of the largest service organizations on campus, but it also ranks in the top 5 percent of all other SIFE teams nationwide. SIFE’s main service project is its economic development zone in the Bahamas. The group plans to use some of the money raised during the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics in the Bahamas.
“We want to tie the two projects together,” said Katie Peek, an integrated marketing communications graduate student. “It would be great to help both causes.”
Oct. 14 marked the Polar Plunge Kickoff at St. Bonaventure. SIFE and the School of Education sold knit gloves for $5 and set up a dunk tank outside of the Reilly Center. Dr. Jim Mahar, associate professor in the School of Business, was one of the professors to volunteer for a turn at the outdoor dunk tank on a day when the temperature dipped into the 30s.
“Being cold for a while is a small price to pay to help,” said Mahar. “The Plunge and SBU SIFE’s fundraising is just another way that SBU works with other groups.”
Mahar wasn’t the only faculty member “Freezin’ for a Reason” at the event. Physical education associate professor Dr. Paula Scraba, who has worked with the Special Olympics since 1976, also volunteered to be dunked.
“Being part of the dunk was just a small contribution to support the efforts of our students on campus with their goal to raise funds for the Polar Plunge,” said Scraba.
While frozen professors were being dunked, SIFE provided hot chocolate and coffee for $1. SIFE also sold bracelets and held a raffle. All the money raised during the event went directly to SIFE’s Buoyant Bonnies team.
The Buoyant Bonnies currently have 71 members and the group hopes to eventually sign up 100 for the Lake Erie plunge. With the $2,000 they have already raised, the Buoyant Bonnies have raised the most money of all Western New York teams participating in the event. But they are not stopping there. The goal is to raise at least $10,000 this year. Donations can be taken up to a week after the event.
For more information on the Polar Plunge, visit www.polarplunge.kintera.org/wny/sbusife.
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