The St. Bonaventure University Polar Crew team braved the elements Saturday, Dec. 4, to rally the forces for another year to plunge into Lake Erie for Special Olympics New York.

Kristin Reynolds, now a graduate student pursuing an MBA in professional accountancy, gathered the university Polar Crew of four for her fifth year as the team captain. Reynolds was joined by Charlie Randall, a first-year plunger and a senior pursuing a major in marketing and a minor in history. It was Luke Gobel’s second time jumping into Lake Erie during the winter. He graduated from Bona’s in 2020 with his bachelor’s degree in political science. The fourth member of the team was Mark Vaccaro, who graduated last May from Bona’s with his MBA in professional accountancy. It was his third time to brave the chill.

This year’s Polar Plunge was held at Woodlawn Beach State Park in Buffalo.

Between the Polar Plunge and the SBU Polar Spray in September, the SBU Polar Crew raised $2,135 and will be able to sponsor three local athletes for an entire year. St. Bonaventure came in second for the most Polar funds raised for Special Olympics by colleges and universities in Western New York.

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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. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.