NJ Cops April2018 | Page 66

Going for the gold n BY AMBER RAMUNDO When local Caldwell businesses and restaurants see West Essex Local 81 members Rob Adams and Matthew DeAngelo walk through the doors, they know that the police department is up to something good again. After four years of participating in the Special Olympics Snow Bowl, the Caldwell officers know they can count on places like the Clo- verleaf Tavern and Forte Pizzeria to help them reach their fundraising goals. “For a town like Caldwell that’s only a mile long, we really hustle for Special Olympics to try and raise as much mon- ey as we can,” noted DeAngelo, one of Caldwell’s faithful team captains. The Local 81 team is used to gaining some recognition at the Snow Bowl after making it into the playoffs nearly every year and even winning the division in 2016. This year, Caldwell was praised for its practice of giving back. The team was named the top fundraisers of the law en- forcement tournament, making a nearly $10,000 donation for Special Olympics athletes. 66 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ APRIL 2018 Knowing that their town supporters had pulled through to help raise Cald- well to the top of the fundraising charts, DeAngelo and co-captain Adams were ready to focus the rest of their efforts on having a good time and reaching victory on the field. “We’ve played a lot with each other over the past four years in this tourna- ment,” DeAngelo stressed. “A lot of us go to the gym together when we’re off from work, so we see each other daily, and we’re always talking about how we can raise more money and hopefully win the tournament.” d