Dec 12, 2023

Lucas Ishman, a senior at St. Bonaventure University, raised nearly $1,000 in donations for Special Olympics New York as a participant in the 2023 Buffalo Polar Plunge, held Dec. 2 at Woodlawn Beach State Park in Hamburg.

It was the most money ever raised for the annual event by an SBU student and earned Ishman the honor of having his name listed as a sponsor on this year’s official Polar Plunge attire. St. Bonaventure’s involvement in the event dates back to 2007.

The Polar Plunge is the largest fundraising event for Special Olympics New York. Individuals, organizations, schools and businesses support Special Olympics athletes with a plunge into frigid waters across the state. The money raised by Ishman goes to Special Olympics of Western New York to be used for programs in the region.

Ishman, a senior sport studies major from Honeoye Falls, New York, started his involvement with Special Olympics as a student at Honeoye Falls-Lima High School, where he was a mentor for the school’s Special Olympics unified basketball team. He has continued that involvement at SBU as a volunteer coach for the Allegany-Limestone Gators unified basketball team. In addition, he was co-director of the spring 2023 St. Bonaventure Special Olympics Unified Basketball Competition.

Ishman is president of the Physical Activity Club and the Special Olympics College Club at St. Bonaventure. He is also a member of the practice squad for SBU’s Division I women’s basketball team.

In November, Ishman received a prestigious J.B. Nash Outstanding Major Award at the 85th Annual Conference of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (NYSAHPERD). The award is presented to outstanding undergraduate students who demonstrate scholarship, leadership, service and professionalism. Ishman is the first sport studies major from St. Bonaventure to receive the award.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).