WESTFORD — Westford Academy students, coaches and administrators braved icy waters on March 9 as they took part in the school’s Special Olympics Polar Plunge, celebrating a successful fundraising effort.
The event, held in the school’s auxiliary parking lot, drew approximately 130 participants across 15 teams. Organizers surpassed their initial goal of raising $8,000, bringing in $8,297 to support Special Olympics programs.
“This is awesome,” said Dean of Students Betsy Murphy. “We started thinking about this in the fall, and within 24 hours we had people signing up. We had to raise $2,500, and now we have over $8,000.”
The Polar Plunge is a nationwide fundraiser for Special Olympics, which provides sports training and competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Funds raised help offer year-round programs for more than 16,000 participants.
Westford Academy’s top individual fundraiser was Meg Norton, who collected $795. Among the highest-earning teams, WA Best Buddies raised $2,770, while WA Student Council contributed $2,231.55.
“We saw it as a great opportunity,” said Elena Mach, president of WA Best Buddies. “We do so many Special Olympics events, and this was just one more to add. It was incredible to see the whole school support Special Olympics.”
The Student Council, which organized the event, had been planning for months.
“We were all just really excited,” said Student Council member Anna Fernandez. “Our main goal was to raise as much money as possible, but overall, everyone was just so excited.”
On the day of the event, participants plunged into a large tank of frigid water, treated by sunny 63-degree weather with clear skies. Many emerged from the plunge shivering and exclaiming, “It’s so cold!” but spirits remained high.
“It’s so rewarding,” Mach said. “It’s freezing cold, but it’s a physical reward for all the hard work we put into it and all the money we raised.”
