Raising more than $1,500 in necessary funds for a local non-profit, seven Castleton University students recently hit the chilly waters of Lake Champlain in honor of Special Olympics Vermont after participating in the annual Penguin Plunge. The event not only serves as the largest annual fundraising effort for Special Olympics Vermont, but also functioned as a powerful team building exercise.
Participating Castleton members included Isaac Ryea, Mikayla Dambrackas, Alex Derosia, Jenna Ray, Cheyanne Borthwick, Briana Hake, and Emily O’Neill.
“I would encourage all Castleton students to take a leap of faith and try the Penguin Plunge for themselves next year. The event benefits a great cause, and is fun for everyone,” said junior Isaac Ryea, who for the past two years has also helped run the Unified Fitness Program, a class on campus for local Special Olympic athletes. “The experience is unlike anything else, it’s a huge rush of adrenaline and just an all around fun time.”