The 24th Annual Burlington & Cool Schools Penguin Plunge was held on February 2nd at the Burlington Waterfront. Despite temperatures in the teens, with an even lower wind chill, over 1,200 people braved the elements and plunged into the frigid waters of Lake Champlain. The Penguin Plunge is the largest fundraising event for Special Olympics Vermont, and this year, over $548,000 was raised to support sports training and competition, health screenings, and leadership opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Vermont.
The Union Mutual Popsicles were the top fundraising team, with 37 team members raising $44,932, breaking the record for the most money raised by any team in the history of the Burlington Plunge. The top fundraising team for the Cool Schools Plunge was Champlain Valley Union High School, raising $35,481.
The Penguin Plunge would not have been possible without the support of our many sponsors, Xfinity, Community Bank N.A., Northfield Savings Bank, Darn Tough, NBT Bank, Triad Design Service, Inc., Bluebird Barbecue, Cabot Creamery Co-Op, North Country Credit Union, The Vermont Flannel Company, 95 Triple X, WVMT and WCAX. Special Olympics Vermont is also grateful for the support of Vermont Tent, Bourne’s Energy, SD Ireland, the Burlington Parks & Recreation Department, the Burlington Fire Department and the Norwich Cadets.