Local Spotl ight: Teaneck Local 215
Dressing the part
Teaneck members know how to stage a fundraiser
■ BY AMBER RAMUNDO
On the streets, they’re law enforcement officers, detectives and
sergeants, but on April 9, Teaneck Local 215 members took on new
personas by dressing up as Star Wars and Disney movie characters
for the second annual Kids Costume Party. The event was held at
the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, where Local 215 members,
family members and community members dressed up for a cos-
tume bash for all ages that raised $4,000 to help 7-year-old Paulie
Reisenger, who is battling a brain tumor.
When Detective Ed Kazmierczak became Local 215’s fundrais-
ing trustee two years ago, he decided he wanted to come up with
a unique event that brought cops, kids and the community to-
gether to benefit a good cause. The result was this event, in which
members of the Local and the department and friends and family
donned the costumes.
“Everyone does a golf outing, everyone does the comedy show.
Let’s try to think outside of the box and do something that could
be unique to us,” Kazmierczak explained. “We came up the idea of
doing a very large scale kid’s birthday party.”
This year, the party brought in more than 200 guests, 35 vendors,
130 tricky tray prizes and an array of costumes worn by kids, Local
215 officers and hired professionals. Local members volunteered
to dress for the occasion, including Sergeant John Garland and Of-
ficer Stephen Morena, who spent the afternoon as Darth Vader and
Chewbacca. Vice President Sara Quant was also a party hit dressed
as Minnie Mouse. Retired State Delegate Andy Haase’s daughter,
Alexa, played Mickey Mouse.
“They stuck it out for the four hours and really played the part,”
Kazmierczak shared. “Those costumes are really small and hot,
and a lot of us are big guys.”
Having a daughter of his own, Kazmie rczak knew that he
couldn’t stage a kids’ costume party without having Anna and Elsa
from Disney’s Frozen. And when the local Toys “R” Us heard about
the event, the store manager volunteered to come dressed as the
mascot “Geoffrey the Giraffe.” Despite the roster of popular kids’
characters, the true highlight of the event came from the oppor-
tunity for community members to get to know the brothers and
sisters underneath the costumes.
“People who you would never expect to meet get to come inter-
act with the cops on a whole other level,” Kazmierczak stated. “You
have the guys who would ordinarily be writing a speeding ticket
dressed as Chewbacca hanging with the kids.”
Local 215 is always looking for ways to help out the community
with fundraisers like the Kids Costume Party that helps members
get to know the people they serve while raising support for fami-
lies and kids in need. State Delegate Charles Antinori recognized
Kazmierczak’s role in putting together the Kids Costume Party
event as one of the reasons Local 215 is able to have such a great
impact in the town.
“For any PBA member to come out and do something like this is
amazing,” Antinori stressed. “That’s what makes our Local special,
because we have people like him.”
Throughout the year, the Local works with Teaneck’s Social Ser-
vices department to make food and toy donations to less fortunate
families. At the end of April, Local 215 will host its annual Good Will
Dinner that traditionally brings together retired and new members
for a home-cooked dinner. Law enforcement members also honor
local civilians with awards for acts of bravery and service in their
community.
Local 215
Vice-President
Sara Quant played
Minnie Mouse
and Alexa Haase,
daughter of re-
cently retired State
Delegate Andy
Haase, dressed up
as Mickey Mouse.
Sergeant John Garland as Darth
Vader along with Local 215 member Sergeant John Garland was Darth
Stephen Morena as Chewbacca
Vader.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ APRIL 2017 45