A splash of cold water to the face might help someone wake up in the morning.
If that doesn’t work, there’s also the option of venturing outside – in 54-degree weather – to let a group of middle schoolers literally dunk you into a tank filled with ice-cold water as a “reward” for participating in a school-wide fundraiser.
In the case of five Hanahan Middle staff members, it was for a good cause – the money is going to be divided up between Special Olympics SC and the school’s Unified Program.
Anything for the children, right?
This mini event was hosted at the school on Wednesday in support of the Unified Polar Plunge happening Feb. 24 on the Isle of Palms through Special Olympics SC. This past month, Hanahan Middle staff and students came together for a coin war where five staff members volunteered to get plunged in a dunk tank on campus if they received the most coins in their designated bins – anyone in the school was invited to put coins toward who they wanted to see get dunked in a dunk tank.
Special services teacher Stormey Walker implemented the fundraiser at the school as a fun way to spread awareness about inclusion and get everyone excited about the Unified Polar Plunge this weekend. The school raised more than $1,000 from the coin war, plus $2,000 in outside donations.
Walker is new to Hanahan Middle this year and initiated the school's Unified Program; the program brings students with special needs and general education students together, and is all about promoting inclusion and breaking down barriers. The general education students meet up with their buddies in the Unified Program once a day and help them work on life skills and social skills.
“They’re learning from each other, how to be more accepting of people who are different,” Walker said.
She said she loved seeing the school come together and get excited about the coin war and a chance to support the school’s unified classroom.
“This is just a fun way to get everyone involved – hopefully it’ll help it grow more and we’ll be able to have more members join in next year, and have more buddies and opportunities for the school to get involved,” she said.
Physical education teacher/coach Christopher Pond, Principal Kelli Roberson, receptionist Karen Oglesby, sixth grade English teacher Emily Bowyer and school counselor Amanda Tolbert all volunteered as potential “dunkees” in the coin war. Three separate dunking sessions were organized for all the grade levels to participate in.
During the first session, attended by all the seventh graders, the five brave volunteer staff members gathered in the bus loop to nervously listen to the results of the coin war and who was about to get dunked. Needless to say, the students went nuts when Walker announced that Pond received the most coins.
Walker’s students did the honors in pushing the lever that sent Pond sliding into the frigid water.
Seconds later, Pond’s breathless, wide-eyed expression said it all as emerged from the dunk tank – “Holy cow, this is cold!”
Initially Pond was told he would have to be dunked two more times for the eighth-graders and sixth-graders, but the second session came with a surprise twist: thanks to some last-minute donations, Roberson and Oglesby each earned a dip in the water.
“I would do anything for these kids,” Roberson said, adding she has loved seeing the school’s general education students work with their buddies from Walker’s class. “It’s been very heartwarming. They really do take care of those kids.”
Tolbert and Bowyer took a splash in the third session as well.
A trooper Pond is, though, because at the eagerness of all the students, he volunteered to get dunked in each session.
“It was a great day for all the kids and Mrs. Walker,” he said. “The school did an amazing job raising money for a great cause.”
Many students, faculty and staff members plan to attend the Unified Polar Plunge at the beach this weekend.
Walker said she is very thankful to have the support of everyone at Hanahan Middle in making the school’s Unified Program successful in its first year running.
“I’m thrilled to work in a space where everyone sees the value in a program like this and wants to show love and support to my students – even when that means taking the plunge into icy water,” she said.