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Eighth Graders “Take the Plunge,” Raise Over $7,200 for Special Olympics Maryland

Calvert Eighth Graders raced onto Krongard Field this afternoon for an on-campus version of the Cool Schools Plunge, a fundraiser supporting Special Olympics Maryland. In just one week, our incredible Mighty Bees raised over $7,200, earning Calvert a spot as one of the top three teams.
In a normal year, the Eighth Graders would have traveled to Sandy Point State Park for a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay. This year, the chilly challenge came to them.
 
“It’s an Eighth Grade tradition that happens every year, so we knew we had to keep it going, even if it was remote,” Middle School teacher and activities coordinator Joe Ali said. “We had a lot of flexibility from teachers and students, and we were able to get just about the whole entire Eighth Grade to do a virtual plunge.”
 
On Thursday, January 28 – a breezy 34-degree day – the Mighty Bees “took the plunge” on Krongard Field, where Eighth Grade Dean Neal McMahon dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over each student’s head.
 
“It feels really good to participate, because even though it’s cold, I know it’s for a good cause,” Alex Nabit ’21 said. "It’s helping those in need.”
 
One by one, the Middle Schoolers got their chance to take the plunge before dashing back to the Middle School Atrium, where they enjoyed hot chocolate and a tasty treat.
 
“I was anticipating the worst, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected,” Alex said. “And doing it with friends makes it better because they’re behind you.”
 
Hosted virtually this year, the Cool Schools Plunge is part of the Polar Bear Plunge, a fundraiser that draws thousands of participants every year. In 2020, more than 12,000 “plungers” volunteered for the icy event, including dozens of Calvert Middle Schoolers.
 
For five years now, Calvert has participated by inviting the entire Eighth Grade to take the plunge, continuing a tradition inspired by Oliver Clark ’20, his family, and their support of a worthy cause.
 
Special Olympics Maryland provides sports training and competition for Marylanders with physical and cognitive disabilities. Through this year’s plunge, the organization hopes to raise $2 million to support their initiatives.
 
“I think this is a really important cause, and it’s really, really fun and really cool that Calvert has this collaboration with them and that we get to do stuff for them,” Team Calvert’s top fundraiser Perry Hart ’21 said. "So, it meant a lot to me.”
 
Thank you to everyone who participated! Great work, Mighty Bees!
 
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Calvert School is a coed independent lower and middle school.

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