Oakdale High School has been participating in the Special Olympics Maryland Polar Bear Plunge for the past 7 years, and it’s continuing again this year! The Polar Bear Plunge is a Maryland organized event that fundraises for the Special Olympics. 

The Polar Bear Plunge costs $75 for admission, and, according to the OHSPolar Bear Plunge Advisor,  Adell Remsberg, all donations will go to “Special Olympics Maryland- to pay for equipment, etc. for different Special Olympics programs.”

The plunge is held on February 2nd, 3rd and 4th, for participating groups around Maryland. Participants have the opportunity to run through near freezing water at Sandy Point State Park. Remsberg shares that the overall atmosphere of the plunge is “fun and exciting. There’s always lots of people.”

Along with the excitement of the Plunge, the annual teachers vs students volleyball game is returning to Oakdale! One of the staff team members, Christine Conte, explains, “I’m interested in seeing the students, I like participating in these things. And, I used to play volleyball so I thought it would be fun.”

The volleyball tournament was held in the Oakdale gym, on Tuesday, November 22nd. The tournament, hosted by the Polar Plunge Club, aimed at raising money “because it supports Special Olympics,” Remsburg claims.  It was performed as a bracket-style tournament where athletes involved in winter sports would be able to compete against each other, and the staff. 

The first game was girls basketball vs boys basketball, and  boys basketball won 12-5. Then the boys cross country played against the swim team, and boys cross country won 12-7. Girls soccer lost to the  OHS staff next, with a score of 12-8. 

With the first round of bracket play completed, the games were then changed from playing for time to instead playing for points, with the winner being whoever was the  first to reach 15 points. For the first game of the semifinals the boys basketball team then played boys cross country, and boys basketball won 15-5. For the last game before the finals, the staff went against the boys track, and the staff won 15-11. Last, in the finals,the staff played boys basketball. In a close game, the staff won 15-12.

The tournament was described by Conte as a “good event because so many students could get involved, and not just by playing, but with the spectators. I also think we did a pretty good job of advertising.” 

Conte added that on court, the games were overall “a little bit competitive, but mostly just enjoyable. Typical volleyball, get out there and just enjoy.”

The game was a great fundraiser for the Special Olympics and it allowed students and staff to get together as a fun in-school activity.