Members of Butler Senior High School's Best Buddies and its unified track and bocce teams will participate in a Polar Plunge event in Pittsburgh at the end of February, just like they did last year. Submitted photo

Participating in activities with Best Buddies at Butler Senior High School is rewarding for Macie McLister, the organization’s communications and social media manager. However, she expects an upcoming event to be one of the best experiences with the group.

Best Buddies is a club that pairs students with disabilities with other students of the school. On Feb. 27, the group will participate in Pittsburgh Cool Schools Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Pennsylvania.

Macie, a junior at Butler Senior High School, said the daylong event brings Best Buddies groups together from many Pittsburgh-area schools for a common cause.

“I’m just looking forward to the whole day itself,” Macie said. “From what I’ve heard, it’s a fun day, and you get to share the same goals of just helping Special Olympics and fundraising for them.”

In addition to Best Buddies, Macie said the school’s unified track and unified bocce teams will also participate in the plunge. The Butler Senior High organization raised a little more than $5,400 through the plunge last year, Macie said.

She expects about 25 students to attend. Everyone attending from the school is helping to raise money for Special Olympics. But on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the school had already surpassed its $1,500 fundraising goal and was the top fundraiser of all the participating schools at more than $3,400.

“It’s basically just a way to raise awareness for adversity that Special Olympics people are facing,” Macie said. “I’m really excited to see how much money we raise.”

Macie said she is looking forward to doing the icy plunge into pools alongside the friends she has made in Best Buddies.

“It’s really rewarding, not just for me, but you get to make friends with everyone who you never would have met if you weren’t involved in it,” Macie said. “It has helped me make closer bonds and connections, and I think it’s important to give everyone the high school experience, and that includes participating in athletics.”

Donate to Butler Senior High School’s fundraiser on plungepa.org.

Members of Butler Senior High School's Best Buddies pose last year at Heinz Field, where a Polar Plunge event was taking place. Submitted photo