26th Annual
Polar Bear
Plunge
Rahway living it up at ‘Sunset’
PBA members once again go deep for the Special Olympics
Anyone who has attended the Sea-
side Heights Polar Bear Plunge in the
past knows exactly where they can find
members of Rahway Local 31 in the
crowd of thousands who flock to the
shoreline. That’s because for more than
a decade, no matter how low the tem-
perature has dropped, Local 31 mem-
bers have been among the last standing,
waist-deep in the waves, flying the Rah-
way flag high and proud.
For Local 31 member Jim Crowell,
withstanding the chill until he can no
longer feel his lower limbs is all about
making a statement of support for a
cause that Local 31 truly does stand
behind. Over the years, Rahway’s Polar
Bear Plunge trademark as the last group
standing has become so well-known
that other Locals have caught on and, of
course, it’s turned into a competition of
who can withstand the cold the longest.
“They look at us, we look at them and
we’re like, ‘Nope, we’re not leaving,’”
shares Crowell, who retired on Feb. 1 af-
ter 25 years on the job and 13 plunges.
But before the freezing for a reason
begins, Local 31 members gather one
block from the boardwalk, where the
Surfside Motel becomes the law en-
forcement hub for Rahway and Locals
across Union County. While walking by,
it’s easy to identify the Locals who have
taken over the motel, as PBA flags for
Local 31, Clark Township Local 125 and
Linden Local 42 hang over doorways.
Woodbridge Local 38 members can
also be found just a few doors down.
What isn’t seen from the outside is the
spread of food that is set up inside the
three rooms commandeered by Rah-
way officers. From chips and snacks to
sandwiches, it’s safe to say that the Lo-
cal 31 crew was fueling up to endure the
charge into the water that would take
place within the hour.
“We’ve been doing this for years, and
it keeps getting bigger,” notes Crowell.
The mass of PBA members who gath-
er at the Rahway hub before plunge
time may be the reason that this year,
Local 31 ordered 11 4-foot subs at a lo-
cal deli.
As the involvement of the Local 31
team grows, so does the contribution
that its members make to Special Olym-
pics. This year, Local 31 showed its sup-
port with a team of 36 plungers and a
donation of $12,000 for Special Olym-
pics.
New chair, trailer and costumes showcase
Bergen County presence
Though many previously had
plunged individually, for the first time,
nearly the entire 54-Local roster mak-
ing up the Bergen County Conference
united to form one big, happy, cold and
wet family. It was the perfect opportu-
nity to debut the conference’s brand-
new trailer.
“We just picked up this trailer yester-
day from getting wrapped,” new Ber-
gen County Conference Chair Carlos
Calderin confirms. “We had help from
the rest of the members of the confer-
ence, [ex-chairman] Charlie Schwartz
and lots of local businesses in the
county that helped out with donations
58
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ MARCH 2019
to make this possible. We’re glad to
have this down here, giving out coffee,
water and snacks. It wasn’t cheap, but
it’s well worth it.”
Calderin, a nine-year State Delegate
of Englewood Local 216, has some big
shoes to fill in a county conference that
is well known for being active. Wheth-
er running their toy drive, collecting
clothing or walking the streets to get
votes, “Everybody chips in,” Calderin
affirms, “which makes my job as the
chairman a lot easier.”
Down the street, Northern Valley
Local 233 had its usual plunge pres-
ence. And like the Bergen County
Conference debuting its new trailer,
Local 233 members were about to de-
but this year’s soon-to-be-soaked cos-
tumes. Hint: If you can dodge a wave,
you can dodge the water. “We were just
trying to find a theme to get more peo-
ple involved and make it fun,” Local
233 member Mike Graham explains.
“‘Dodgeball’ is a funny movie, so we
decided to go with that.”
Local 233 President Reggie Parsells
elaborates: “We are always striving for
excellence, and there’s excellence in
dodgeball. If you can dodge a wrench,
you can dodge a ball, right? But in all
honesty, we always strive to go above