*All teachers/team captains will receive an updated detailed event day packet, bus routes and maps 2 weeks out from event day* The information below is from the 2025 event to help give you a general idea of what to expect so you can plan ahead.
THOSE NOT ARRIVING BY SCHOOL BUS
- Please plan to carpool and arrive early to find parking. It is our recommendation that you park in the 31st parking garage which is connected to the 31st Hilton ($10).
- Additional parking is at 25th St. and at 19th lots – see the link below.
- Some on street parking is available near the Hilton; please adhere to all parking signs.
- DO NOT PARK in a TOW ZONE or at the HAMPTON INN oceanfront - they will tow you.
- Below is info on parking lots and fees they charge. Please note – prices can vary.
THOSE ARRIVING BY SCHOOL BUS
- School busses can drop off students/teachers in front of the Hilton, 3001 Atlantic Ave., Va Beach, VA.
- Teachers must have a way to communicate with bus drivers, so be sure to exchange numbers.
- After dropping students/teachers off, busses will need to park at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Arrangements have been made with the City of Virginia Beach for school busses to park there.
- Once CSC is over, teachers should call the bus driver and everyone can be picked up in front of the Hilton.
- At the end of the event, please do not call your bus until you are 100% ready. DO NOT call the bus while you are still changing/gathering your items. Once the bus is in front of the hotel you must be ready to load and free the space for another school/bus.
- To unload at the Hilton
- From 264 Eastbound- Take 21st Street to Pacific Avenue.Turn Left onto Pacific Avenue and head North to 37th Street.
- Turn Right onto 37th Street eastbound and turn Right onto Atlantic Avenue southbound.
- Drive to the Laskin Road stoplight to unload participants.
- To park at the Sports Center
- From drop-off, head south on Atlantic Avenue.
- Turn RIGHT on 17th street. Head west on 17th street until you see the Sports Center on your RIGHT-HAND SIDE.
- Enter Sports Center parking lot and park in designated parking area marked with a red circle on the attached map. Back into parking spots side by side. No Lateral Parking Back up to curb. Do not park along curb taking up multiple parking spaces
- To load participants at Hilton after the event
- Leave sports center heading east on 17th street to Pacific Ave.
- Turn left on Pacific Ave. And continue to 37th street.
- Turn right on 37th street and continue to Atlantic Ave.
- Turn right on Atlantic Ave. And continue to designated pick up location
- A printed map with these instructions and photos will be given to all bus drivers upon arrival.
- The Sports Center is located at 1045 19th St. Please follow the mapped-out directions on how to unload at the Hilton, park at the Sports Center and then load back at the Hilton. Written instructions are below and a detailed set of directions with photos will also be provided.
SAFETY
- Special Olympics Virginia wants our participants to be safe at Cool School. If you see anything that looks suspicious or if someone looks out of place, please alert someone immediately.
- There will be members of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office on site during the event.
- Students need to stay inside the tent. All snacks and drinks will be located in the tent this year. No one should be leaving the tent until given the official go ahead to Plunge.
- Students MUST listen to the safety briefing that takes place at approx. 12:00 pm.
- The plan is to have students in the plunge area for ONLY 5 minutes prior to plunging.
- Should there be an emergency and we need to evacuate the tent, all students and teachers should go inside the Hilton to Ballrooms B & C on the second floor. There teachers will take attendance and await further instructions
TENT AND CHECK IN
- The 14,000+ sq. ft. heated tent is on the beach behind the Hilton and next to the Neptune Statue.
- Your bus will drop you off outside of the Hilton where a SOVA staff member will be waiting to greet you. They will hand you a packet of instructions and a map to share with your bus driver.
- Next, they will send you to the direction of the tent! There will be people there to greet you and help you get inside. Please stop at the table and let us know what school you are from.
- You will then be escorted to your table and a SOVA team member will provide you with a list of everyone that is registered. You will then use that to take attendance and turn in the list marked with who is present/Plunging and who is not.
- You will then receive a bib for everyone that is Plunging.
- Please turn in any checks or cash you may have at the check in table. Checks can be made to Special Olympics Virginia.
- We accept money until the very last minute and all money turned in will be added to the schools online total.
TABLES
- As you check in, you will be escorted to your table and provided a map.
- Tables (with a few chairs) will be clearly marked with signs.
- If you do not have enough tables, DO NOT take tables from another school, let us know and we will find you a table/s.
FOOD
- In 2025 all schools were given pizza from Papa Johns. We hope to do that again for 2026 but the food option TBA!
- Students may also bring lunch/snacks/drinks as you please.
- NO glass or anything breakable is allowed on the beach.
- Wawa has donated cookies & brownies, and Starbucks will be providing hot chocolate for everyone as well. It will be located on tables in the tent (opposite end of the stage) and will be serve yourself.
TOWELS, SHOES & SWIMSUITS
- Students need to wear a pair of socks/water shoes/old sneakers while under the tent and when they plunge.
- Please dress appropriately for cold weather - although the tent is heated it will still be cold.
- Students need to bring towels and warm clothing to put on after the plunge.
- If students choose to wear a swim suit – they need to respect others and wear swim suits that are appropriate for a family environment.
- Costumes are encouraged as there will be a costume contest!
INCENTIVES & PLUNGING
- You will receive all incentives, for those who earned them, when you arrive on Plunge day. There will be a box/bags of items, and a list of who earned what, on your schools table.
- Only students who reached a fundraising goal on their page ($100 – tshirt, $300 – towel & $750 – sweatshirt) will be eligible to receive an incentive.
- You should have received an email about transferring team funds ahead of time – no transfers will done the day of.
- While all students must have reached a goal on their page to earn incentives, Plunging eligibility is determined by the team fundraising amount.
- For example: If a team has $5,000 that is enough for 50 students to Plunge. We will not transfer money to individual pages but rather make sure the team average comes out to $100 per person taking the Plunge.
- This is in an effort to make the Plunge an accessible event for all students!
WATER WHEELCHAIRS
- There will be water wheelchairs available to any participants needing assistance entering the water. They will be lined up on the outside of the tent!
CHANGING TENTS
- There will be 4 changing tents located on the board walk. 2 for girls and 2 for boys. They will be marked on the map and will have signs on them.
- Teachers/adults must supervise students when getting into warmer clothing.
- Students need to be discreet & respectful of others while getting into warmer clothing.
PARTY IN THE TENT (Please note this is what we had in 2025 and it is subject to change for 2026)
- DJ Julian will be playing music from 10-12, so be ready to dance!
- TJ Maxx will host a Costume Contest.
- Just Dance/Simon Says group game led by students.
- SOVA athletes will be present to mingle and will give a speech as well.
- A magician, stilt walker and face painter will be onsite, as well as a photo booth station!
- Snacks and hot chocolate for all! Then pizza for those who requested it in the tent.
- Be sure to mingle and meet all of the other amazing students and teachers that share the same passion about Special Olympics that you do!
SERVICE ANIMALS
- Only identifiable service animals are allowed under the tent.
DEPARTURE
- Once students have changed from the Plunge, they should return back to their table in the tent.
- As busses start to line up, we will call each school out as their bus arrives via the DJ.
- REMINDER: Do not call your bus until you are 100% ready to go. Once a bus pulls up outside the Hilton you must be ready to go and load so we can clear the space for another bus/school. So, please wait until all students are fully changed, have all their items and are lined up.
- This list will also need to be shared with your bus driver so they are aware of who will not be getting back on the bus before they head back to school.
- Any students NOT riding the bus back to school and being picked up by a parent on site – please bring a list of those names with you!!
General Schedule of Events (Please note this is subject to change for 2026)
- 9:30-10:30am - Schools arrive
- 10:30-11:15am – Tent Activities: student led group games, magician, face painter, dancing, photo booth & snacks!
- 11:15-11:30am – Opening Ceremony and athlete speaker
- 11:30-11:50am - Costume contest parade and awards
- 12pm - Safety briefing with Diver Ben
- 12:15-12:20pm - TAKE THE PLUNGE!!!
- 12:20-12:45pm - Change and load the bus home