Cardinal Plunge Feb. 7 to raise money for alumna

Brave souls and warm hearts are invited to join Saint Mary’s University for the sixth annual “Cardinal Plunge” noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Lake Lodge Recreation Center, in coordination with the Winter Carnival Goose Bump Jump. Several celebrity plungers including Chris Kendall, vice president of student life; John Duerst, residence life director; and Christian Brothers Robertolino, Christhian, Peter, and Miguel are braving the cold for a good cause.

This year, Cardinal Plunge participants will again be freezin’ for a reason. Proceeds will be given to Juliana Piscitiello, a 2006 Saint Mary’s alumna who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a genetic, auto-immune disease and a chronic progressive form of arthritis which is destroying her spine. Piscitiello, former part-time faculty member at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, has enjoyed ballet since the age of 3 and has assisted with dance choreography on campus. Funds will be used to assist with the expense of her ongoing therapy, much of which is needed to reduce the severity of her painful symptoms. She could also benefit from adaptive equipment.

She is the daughter of Kathy (Ordahl) CST’70 Piscitiello and Tony Piscitiello ’69, senior advancement director at Saint Mary’s.

The cost to plunge is $20 ($15 for the Saint Mary’s community). Registration runs from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and a silent auction will be held inside the lodge between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Future Alumni Committee. Donations can be dropped off with Alex Bilski in the Development Office (60 Heffron Hall) or mailed to campus mailbox #21 with attention to “Cardinal Plunge.”

Pre-register online at www.mysmumn.org/plunge2015. For more information, contact Alex Bilski at 457-6675 or Conner Ellinghuysen at 429-7960.