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2025 Cool School Challenge

Welcome to the Cool School Challenge in Illinois, where we bring the fun of the Plunge right to your school’s campus! Across the state, schools, students, and faculty participate in the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge via the Cool School Challenge to support the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.

10

Cool School Plunges

7

People Registered

Not a part of the Cool School Challenge? Find out how to get involved.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Step 1: Find a Team Captain

Appoint a designated staff member as Team Captain who will serve as the point of contact between the school and Special Olympics Illinois

Step 2: Contact Us!

Contact Debbie Kelly, dkelly@soill.org or your Regional Plunge Director to get your School registered and a fundraising site created.  Pick a date for your school to TAKE THE PLUNGE!!

Step 3: Register Students & Staff

Once your school’s fundraising site has been created, register students and staff who are committed to raising a $100 minimum each

Register Now

Take the cool school challenge

The Cool School Challenge creates whole-school engagement and an exciting way to give back, all while teaching students about the importance of inclusion and making a positive impact. 

How does it work? It’s simple. You work with us to host a Cool School Challenge Polar Plunge on your school’s campus. Specific extracurricular groups or the whole student body (and faculty of course) work together to raise money and support the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. Click the button below to get started and find out how you can BE COOL and TAKE THE PLUNGE with your school this year. 

Find My SchoolGet More Info

Register at Your School

Find the location you want to take your ice dip

Andrew HS - Region E

Wed, Feb 12
Goal:$5,000(0%)

York HS - Region C

Wed, Feb 26
Goal:$30,000(1%)

Creekside MS - Region B

Fri, Feb 28
Goal:$5,000(0%)

Shepard HS - Region E

Thu, Mar 06
Goal:$10,000(0%)

Triad HS - Region J

Sat, Mar 08
Goal:$7,500(1%)

Bradley Bourbonnais HS - Region E

Wed, Mar 12
Goal:$5,000(0%)

Putnam County HS - Region A

Fri, Mar 14
Goal:$3,000(0%)

Grayslake North HS - Region B

Fri, Mar 14
Goal:$10,000(0%)

Edison Park Elementary - Region D

Sat, Mar 15
Goal:$3,000(0%)

Dixon HS - Region A

Fri, Mar 21
Goal:$3,000(0%)

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

Participant Testimonials

“

I have had the incredible privilege of participating in the Cool School Challenge and I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience! This event seamlessly blends fun and purpose by spreading inclusion throughout our district and community while raising money for Special Olympics Illinois. The Cool School Challenge is not just an event; it's a celebration of unity, compassion, and the boundless power of community. I am grateful to have been a part of this impactful initiative, and I can't wait to continue plunging each year for an even brighter, more inclusive future!

Kayla Magruder, TeacherEdwardsville School District #7
“

The highlight of the Cool School Challenge is seeing all the diverse clubs within a school (social, academic, and athletic) bond together as one unit, showcasing their school spirit in support of the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois while participating in such an extreme event as the Polar Plunge. I don’t believe you can find another event out there that can bring an entire school together like this! It’s truly amazing!

Sgt. Bill DevineIllinois LETR Director
“

Last year we made a concerted effort to raise the profile and then donations for our ThunderPlunge. We know how much the Special Olympics Illinois programs mean to our traditional athletes, Unified partners, and our community as a whole. Special Olympics Illinois gives so much to our students that we wanted to find a way to support the organization in a larger capacity. We also know that at Andrew we focus on community and when our community identifies a need they would rally together to help in any way possible. We asked our co-curricular clubs to work together to increase the participation and donations for the event. Boy, did it work! We had more students participate, and then raise more money than we have ever in the past. We are excited about what is ahead of us in terms of community and support for the Special Olympics organization.

Tim Dalton, Assistant PrincipalVictor J. Andrew High School

Check out our COOL Incentives in 2025

$100

Hoodie

$250

Carhartt Beanie

$500

Plunge Beach Towel

$1,000

Windbreaker ¼ zip

$2,500

Oversized Sherpa Blanket

$5,000

Choice of Carhartt Jacket or Knee Length Jacket
Download Incentive Flier

Cool School Contests

Regional

 Raise the most money in your region and earn a pizza party for your Plunge team!

Statewide

Be the Cool School that raises the most money in the state, earn a SCHOOL-WIDE pizza party and Cool School Trophy!

2024 COOL SCHOOL
CHALLENGE WINNERS

Congratulations to Andrew High School. The winner of the 2024 Cool School Challenge raising more than $31,000. Thank you for supporting life-changing programing for people with intellectual disabilities and building a more inclusive world.

See the impact joining the Cool School Challenge had on their school and community.

Play Video

Watch Video

Cool School Leaderboards

School

1.York HS - Region C

$316Raised(1%)

2.Triad HS - Region J

$53Raised(1%)

3.Putnam County HS - Region A

$0Raised(0%)

4.Dixon HS - Region A

$0Raised(0%)

5.Edison Park Elementary - Region D

$0Raised(0%)

6.Grayslake North HS - Region B

$0Raised(0%)

7.Creekside MS - Region B

$0Raised(0%)

8.Bradley Bourbonnais HS - Region E

$0Raised(0%)

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

Individual

1.Renee Tuzak

Team Captain
1st Time Plunger
Raised $250
Raised $100
Raised $500
Raised $1,000
Raised $2,500
Raised $5,000
$316Raised(32%)
0

2.Gail Bondari

Team Captain
1st Time Plunger
Raised $250
Raised $100
Raised $500
Raised $1,000
Raised $2,500
Raised $5,000
$53Raised(11%)
0

3.Alyssa Elliott

1st Time Plunger
Team Captain
Raised $250
Raised $100
Raised $500
Raised $1,000
Raised $2,500
Raised $5,000
$0Raised(0%)
0

4.Kathy Mersinger

Team Captain
1st Time Plunger
Raised $250
Raised $100
Raised $500
Raised $1,000
Raised $2,500
Raised $5,000
$0Raised(0%)
0

5.Kati Hassall

1st Time Plunger
Team Captain
Raised $250
Raised $100
Raised $500
Raised $1,000
Raised $2,500
Raised $5,000
$0Raised(0%)
0
View All

Resources

Downloadable Guide

Read through this information to learn more about the Cool School Challenge and how it will work at your school.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Communication Toolkit

Visit our Polar Plunge Resources page for our social media toolkit and other fundraising resources

VIEW TOOLKIT

Cool School Resources

Explore the guides to find a variety of fundraising ideas and school engagement opportunities designed to make your Cool School plunge a success.

VIEW RESOURCES

Social Media Toolkit

Share your Polar Plunge journey with your social network and more - you can use the sample posts and graphics below. Please tag Special Olympics Illinois in your posts! And, remember, funds raised through third-party pages (Go Fund Me, Facebook Donations, etc.) cannot be credited towards your fundraising efforts, so please use your personal fundraising link as noted in the sample copy.

Email Banner

Download

Social Image

To use in your feed on your favorite social networks

Download

Social Image

To use in your feed on your favorite social networks

Download

Social Image

To use on social stories on Facebook or Instagram

Download

Social Image

To use on social stories on Facebook or Instagram

Download

Social Profiles

Special Olympics Illinois Social

Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run

Become A unified champion school

The Unified Champion Schools strategy works to further develop inclusive learning and social environments for all students, with and without disabilities. By utilizing any of the three components - Unified sports, whole-school engagement, and inclusive youth leadership - schools can elevate the inclusion and unification among their students as well as further social emotional learning for all.

Learn MorePlay Video

Watch Video

Presenting Sponsor

Cool School Sponsors

The Official Cool School Pool

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Stay Connected

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Special Olympics Illinois Social

Share your Polar Plunge journey with our online community. Be sure to tag Special Olympics Illinois and use #PlungeIllinois to connect with other warm-hearted individuals across the state.

Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run

Connect with the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run through social media. And, be sure to tag these channels so we can stay up to date with your activities.

View Polar Plunge Safety Policy

Please be safe with your Create Your Own Plunge choices. Special Olympics Illinois is not responsible for any injuries that occur while participating in the Create Your Own Plunge option.

Those choosing to Create Your Own Plunge are encouraged to be safe with their Create Your Own Plunge choices. Special Olympics Illinois utilizes a professional dive team in the water and emergency responders to ensure the safety of our participants at traditional Polar Plunges. Do not attempt to jump into a lake, river, or any other open body of water for the Create Your Own Plunge. Participants should not do anything that could physically harm themselves or others. Special Olympics Illinois is not responsible for any injuries that occur while participating in the Create Your Own Plunge.