Saturday, November 16 was not just another gorgeous Saturday morning on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, but much more: It was the venue for the 2024 Thanks4Giving Dash and Splash fundraiser, benefiting Special Olympics New Jersey (SONJ).
950 registered dashers and splashers dashed and splashed, each and every one contributing their part in raising $125,000. How cool is that?
On top of that, students and staff of 18 Unified Champion Schools literally dove into the Ocean as part of the Cool Schools Challenge. By doing so, they raised funds for SONJ as well as for their own school. Any Turkey Dash 5K participant who raised over $35 received 50% over that amount back to their school. Turkey Splash plungers, on the other hand, received 50% of anything raised over $100 for their school.
While some say Buddy the Elf took part in the plunge, we suspect it was Voorhees High School Principal Peterson wearing the costume chosen by his students. Upon exiting the ocean, he may or may not have said “Thanks, Mr. Narwhal”. The Voorhees Unified Plungers was also the largest group with 51 members!
Some of the high school students like Ackerman have been participating in Unified Basketball for several years, and, like Keiser, decided to take the plunge in the ocean for the first time “because friends have been doing it”. And then there are students like West, who have siblings with an intellectual disability (ID), and say it is fun to see everyone come together. West said she wants to be a nurse or a Special Education Teacher.
Jones, who is the Physical Education teacher / Health, and Unified Basketball Coach at Macopin Middle School, said that her school has been offering Unified programs to its students for three years. They have been so successful that students wanting to join now have to go on a wait list.
Fundraising Leaderboard
Turkey Dash 5K
Individual: Thomas Plaza Sr.
Team: Sweet Caroline
Turkey Splash
Individual: Paul Vicente
Team: JP’s Shore to Freeze
Cool Schools Challenge
Individual: Cory Baker
Team: Voorhees Unified Plungers
Congratulations to the top male and female finishers of the Turkey Dash!
SONJ provides training and competition opportunities in 22 sports, while offering health, wellness, athlete leadership and Unified program initiatives to thousands of athletes across the state, all free of charge! SONJ could not do this without the funds raised during events like the Thanks4Giving Dash & Splash.
Next up – we continue into our other Polar Bear Plunges in Wildwood and Seaside Heights!
