Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast’s Penguin Plunge This Weekend

17th High School Plunge Saturday-26th Penguin Plunge Sunday

Hampton, NH – The Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) Plunge weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th. The Penguin Plunge is the single largest fundraiser for SONH each year. This year’s theme is “Alice in Wonderland” so spectators and participants can expect to see plenty of top hats and rabbits checking their watches. The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom hosts plungers and volunteers for the event with an Alice-themed party. While the “Do-It-Yourself” plunge option that was created during the pandemic still exists, most participants opt for the in-person event that includes costume contests and comfort food following the plunge.

The Saturday High School Plunge will mark the 17th time that students from all over the state will converge on Hampton Beach to raise funds for the athletes and programs of SONH. Competition among schools for bragging rights about the most fundraising and the best costumes is fierce and fun.
Sunday will bring Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast’s Penguin Plunge to Hampton Beach. Now in its 26th year, SONH President and CEO Mary Conroy still marvels at the energy of those involved saying “This is a huge undertaking for not only our incredible plungers, but for the volunteers and sponsors. During the day on Saturday and Sunday the Ballroom, boulevard and beach are transformed, and hundreds of people will be supporting us by plunging.” Traffic on a portion of Ocean Boulevard will be re-routed between 9am and 3pm both days this weekend. “We couldn’t do this without the support and cooperation that we get from the Town of Hampton and the police and fire departments,” Conroy continued.

While the Casino Ballroom will be holding plunger-only events before and after plunging, spectators are welcome on Hampton Beach. The plunging is done in several waves that will start promptly at noon each day.

Special Olympics New Hampshire is still in need of volunteers to assist with the weekend festivities. While some volunteer positions are outside, there are many inside tasks available in both the Ashworth Hotel and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Information about volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Anyone interested in plunging can still sign up here. Most fundraising is done online, and most participants hit their minimums in less than 72 hours.
Those making donations can donate to a specific plunger or group of plungers (called “flocks”) with an easy-to-use search function. All proceeds from the High School Plunge and the Penguin Plunge stay in the Granite State and are used to support the 2700 athletes served by SONH in every region of the state. Donations can be made here.

The 2025 High School Plunge and Penguin Plunge are presented by Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast and hosted by Eversource. More info about all events can be found at www.SONH.org. Media inquiries can be directed to SONH Senior Manager, Multimedia Mark Ericson at MarkE@sonh.org or 603-498-5186.

About Special Olympics New Hampshire
Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) is an accredited program of Special Olympics International (SOI) and is part of an international global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance.

About Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast
Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast is an independent and locally operated Coca-Cola bottler with sales and production centers across New England and Upstate New York. Our mission is to refresh the Northeast with the best selection of great tasting beverages while investing in our people, our communities, and our customers’ success. We are proud to be one of the nation’s largest Coca-Cola bottlers, employing more than 3000 people in the Northeast. We believe in living our values and strive to act in ways to create a more sustainable and better shared future. Learn more at www.cokenortheast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.