Freezin’ For A Reason

Local Students Take The Plunge

A group of Severna Park Middle School plungers ran for the water.

Photos by Lauren Cowin

Severna Park Middle School eighth-grader Lillian Schimek completed her third Polar Bear Plunge.

Photos by Lauren Cowin

Bobby Rice, an eighth-grader at Severna Park Middle School, ran for dry land.

Photos by Lauren Cowin

Students gathered on the beach before taking the plunge.

Photos by Lauren Cowin

Students from across Anne Arundel County participated in the Cool Schools Plunge on January 30.

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A group of plungers from Severna Park High School’s Alternative Classroom Curriculum (ACC) class posed with first responders on site.

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Severna Park Middle School had more than 100 students plunge and raised approximately $21,000.

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St. Martin’s-in-the-Field eighth-graders continued a school tradition with the plunge.

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St. Martin’s-in-the-Field eighth-graders continued a school tradition with the plunge.

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(L-R) Tessa Nardone, Sarah Murphy and Lylah Dupcak enjoyed the comfort of sweatshirts at the plunge event.

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(L-R) Ty Suriyachaiwat and Jack Renick headed to shore after charging into the Chesapeake Bay.

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Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2025 1:15 pm

Sandy Point State Park was packed with local teens ready to run into the near-freezing Chesapeake Bay for the annual Cool Schools Plunge, a subset of the Polar Bear Plunge benefiting Special Olympics Maryland.

Participants from Severna Park Middle School, Severna Park High School, Broadneck High School and Magothy River Middle School were all part of the festivities on January 30 – a day dedicated to plungers from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Those local schools alone raised more than $90,000 for Special Olympics Maryland, with Magothy River Middle School ranking second overall in the Cool Schools fundraising with $43,510.

St. Martin’s-in-the-Field eighth-graders took the plunge a day earlier, a school tradition for over 12 years.