Nearly $2,000 was raised by Whitman Hanson Best Buddies and Student Council as part of a Best Buddies’ project during the culmination of Inclusion week.
Whitman-Hanson students and staff had a daily dress up theme and special guests from the post-graduate program and students with disabilities participated in the morning announcements. Students also had eight different videos highlighting their strengths and what inclusion meant to each of them. The videos were played at the end of the school day throughout the week, according to student council advisor Dan Moriarty. Best Buddies and Student Council were hosts to the event, which was open to all school staff and students to participate.
The end of the week in past years included a Polar Plunge with a run in and out of the ocean on the Cape, said Moriarty.
The new plunge, in view of COVID restrictions, was completed by doing an ice bucket challenge.
Colleen Patterson a teacher at Whitman-Hanson was chosen by a raffle ticket to dump a bucket over the head of WHRHS Principal Dr. Christopher Jones. Several of the teachers dressed in scuba gear, face masks, and Dylan O’Neil a special education teacher wore a snorkel mask and a donut shaped float. His brother Sean O’Neil of Hanson is a student in the post-graduate program. He took a minute to line up and readied his bucket but spared his big brother and instead of his face, soaked his belly with the ice water.
He had fun dumping the water on his brother, O’Neil said following the event.
For information on ways to donate through the April deadline visit the Special Olympics Massachusetts wesbsite support.specialolympics.org/massachusetts. The polar plunge challenges ended this week but donations are still open.