This year’s Penguin Run was a slushy social event where people intentionally immersed themselves in a blizzard. Hundreds of people came together in 20-degree weather at Williston Central School for a Vermont Special Olympics fundraising event. “I will tell you, it’s been a really weird year in high schools. It’s been quiet, the energy has been off. Today… was the most fun day of the year,” said Champlain Valley Union High School Principle, Adam Bunting. Bunting also participated in the run. “We wanted the group to be together,” said CVU Match Teacher Peter Booth. “Kids have not really had a chance to be together in a safe way. Other than in the classroom. They’ll just go classroom to classroom with no social time.” Booth is also a parent of a child who has disabilities, which is how he knows first-hand what keeping the event going in nontraditional times meant for students. Traditionally, the event is a water plunge at Lake Champlain, but, because of the pandemic organizers had to switch gears and think of an alternative way to host the event safely. Cancelling, however, was never an option. “Allowing them to just play unified sports has become a piece of our school culture to the point where, it wasn’t really an option this year to not do it,” said Booth. CVU was nationally recognized as a special Olympics unified champion school last year. It was that sense of unity that kept a lot of people motivated on Saturday morning, even in the freezing weather. “Every year, there’s something about that shared purpose that students have, that our faculty has, where we bond together and say every single person in this community matters,” said Bunting. When it comes to the event returning to the lake again next year, organizers have their fingers crossed. “I’m hoping for vaccines, and I’m hoping to hit that Lake Champlain water once again with CVU’s typical 150-200 kids,” said Booth.