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High School Students Take Frigid Plunge In The Name Of Special Olympics

By Joel Hillan

DENVER (CBS4) - A group of Colorado's finest came together for Coloradans Sunday at Elitch Garden's Theme Park.

"We are here for the polar plunge," said Colorado Special Olympics Youth Leader Mae Robinson.

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She and a team from Grandview High School raised almost $3,000 for Special Olympic athletes.  To earn it, the team vowed to take a polar plunge.

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"Does it makes you nervous at all?" CBS4's Joel Hillan asked.

"Yes, a lot!" Robinson responded.

"It feels amazing. We are really excited, it's going to be freezing, but we are excited," said Savannah Rock.  She is a senior at Grandview High School and President of Project Unify.

Both Robinson and Rock will be going to the Special Olympics in Seattle as youth ambassadors for Colorado. A tribute to the special work they and the other student officers of Project Unify do year-round.

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"We basically embrace inclusion in our school. We spread it all around, anything we can do to help change our community for the better," said Rock.

She provided some encouragement to Project Unify before the big leap into the freezing water.

"Go Wolves! Together we make a difference," she said.

Together they have.

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All proceeds raised through the Special Olympics Colorado Polar Plunge Series help offset costs associated with sports training, competitions, youth leadership and health education for more than 23,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities here in Colorado.

Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.

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