Iona Prep Honored As Top Fundraising Team For Special Olympics

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona Prep “Plungers” won its fifth consecutive Cool School Challenge to become the top fundraising team in all of New York State for the fourth year in a row. Special Olympics New York Director of Development Kaitlin Brennan presented students from Iona Preparatory with the school’s fifth Cool School Challenge trophy recently.

The Gaels raised $50,846 in contributions at the 11th annual Westchester Polar Plunge, which took place on Nov. 16 at Glen Island Park.

The Plunge itself raised $184,000, which means the Iona Prep students accounted for 28 percent of the overall fundraising, helping to underwrite more than 100 Special Olympics athletes in the process.

Since the Westchester Polar Plunge was founded in 2011, Iona Prep has raised more than $200,000, sponsoring a total of 503 Special Olympics New York athletes. The Gaels have exceeded $35,000 every year since 2016, and have been the top fundraising organization — let alone school — in all of Westchester for all but one year of the Polar Plunge’s existence, according to a spokeswoman. To date, Iona Prep is the only school to have its name engraved on the Cool School Challenge trophy.

Find and “Like” Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages.