“I am slowly getting warmer, but my heart is full,” Brenda Kerstetter, the Unified Liaison-Coach for Forestville said after taking the plunge.

The Silver Creek/ Forestville Polar Plunge team started in 2020 with only nine participants, but this year, 64 people participated in the fundraising event, making it the largest team in the group’s history. Many of the participants this year experienced the event for the first time.

“The Polar Plunge teaches kids unity, inclusion, courage, and resilience. It shows our school coming together as one, supporting one another,” said Sarah Pfleuger, a parent of a Silver Creek/Forestville Unified athlete.

Just as the Silver Creek/Forestville team has grown, what started as a one-day event has grown so much that the plunge was held over three days this year, with four separate plunges. Two of the plunges occurred on Dec. 5, with students and staff from local schools only. Thirty-two schools participated in the Cool School Challenge this year. Each school competed to be the school that raised the most money.

Forestville students Ali Kerstetter, Ellie Cross, and Kaylee Adamczak are pictured at the Polar Plunge.

Each year the Silver Creek and Forestville students have participated in the plunge, they were listed among the top 10 fundraising schools, and this year was no different. The team came in fifth place overall in the Cool School Challenge, and was once again the top fundraising school for Chautauqua County.

“Each year we strive to raise more than the last year. Even though we are two small schools, combined we are still smaller than other schools in the area. The fact we can raise over $13,000 the past two years and over $50,000 in the past six years, just shows the heart of the students, staff and community from our districts to support our students and Special Olympics New York,” Janet Decker, Silver Creek’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) advisor and Unified Coach pointed out.

“The Polar Plunge is a way for me to support Special Olympics and to show we are stronger together as one. It’s a fun way for our school community to show our support for inclusion,” said Claire Gonzalez, a sophomore at Silver Creek, YAC member and Unified Basketball player. Gonzalez participated in the plunge for the third time this year.

Gonzalez was not the only student who has participated in the event for multiple years. Ali Kerstetter, a sophomore at Forestville and a member of the Unified Bowling and Basketball teams, also participated in her fourth plunge this year. When asked why she continues to participate in the Polar Plunge, Ali Kerstetter said, “I have always enjoyed helping people, seeing the smiles on the other kids’ faces, and knowing I made a difference just warms my heart.”

The Cool School Challenge raised, in total, $249,731 for Special Olympics New York. Over the course of the three days, nearly $700,000 was raised to support students, athletes, and Unified programs.

Silver Creek students Alyssa and Bryan Wagner are pictured in their custom Polar Plunge sweatshirts.

Silver Creek students Claire Gonalez and Alijah Willams are pictured with Director of Special Education Megan Cook, right.

The Silver Creek/Forestville Unified Team is pictured with a banner for being in the top 10 teams of fundraising.