The College of Staten Island men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams got in the waters for a completely different cause on Sunday, jumping into the chilled waters of Staten Island’s south shore as part of the Polar Plunge to support the New York Special Olympics. The yearly event helps raise tens of thousands of dollars to the cause each year, as members charge the water and get soaked gaining sponsors that pay to watch them do it with all proceeds going to the worthy cause.
The CSI unit began collecting donations for the Polar Plunge in early-November and together with their coaching staff the units were able to raise over $4,000 for the New York Special Olympics, which in turn helps train and support over 21,000 special-needs athletes in Olympic-style competition, free of charge for athletes and their families. In all, the event raised nearly $80,000.
The event for the Dolphins came one day after their participation in the Drew University Ranger Invitational. Although the sun was shining and temperatures outside were tolerable, they don’t label the event “Freezin’ for a Reason” for nothing, as the water temperatures were bitter cold compared to the warm confines of the Sports & Recreation Center. In fitting tradition, however, the team was treated to warm refreshments both pre and post event.
The Polar Plunge is something the team plans to do yearly. To find out how you can support the Polar Plunge and events like it, please visit their page here.
