Gallery • 2 Photos

By Kassi Drummond (Submitted)

Ready to go, seniors Nicole Crist and Kinley Drummond pose for one more picture before getting into the lake to raise money for the Special Olympics.

Both a part of the Unified Sports Program at Mill Valley, seniors Kinley Drummond and Nicole Crist started a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. The Unified Sports Program joins students with and without intellectual disabilities together through sports. 

According to Drummond, the money raised is going to help organizations like the Unified Sports Program. 

“We raised money for the Special Olympics,” Drummond said. “A certain percent of the money we raised comes back to our Unified Sports at Mill Valley.” 

Together, Drummond and Crist raised over $650. Crist says a large amount of the money was raised online. 

“I raised the money through social media,” Crist said. “I specifically used Facebook.” 

After the money had been raised, the girls jumped into Shawnee Mission Lake to take part in the polar plunge. 

It was a very cold polar plunge, says Drummond. 

“The lake was frozen at the time so someone had to break the ice for us,” Drummond said. “There were literally people walking on top of the ice; it was freezing.” 

The girls took the polar plunge on Saturday, Feb. 27, right before the start of disability awareness month in March. 

Drummond, an avid participant in the Unified Sports program at Mill Valley, acknowledges the impact the program has on students. 

“Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team,” Drummond said. “The unified sports we have at Mill Valley are bocce ball, soccer and basketball.”