Local Snapshots
26th Annual
Polar Bear
Plunge
Bergen County Sheriff’s Department Local 134 Plainfield Local 19
Members of Bergen
County Sheriff’s Depart-
ment Local 134 rushed out
after plunging and stopped
to take a quick photo. But
they were not in a hurry be-
cause of the cold.
“Actually, the cold is
what makes it fun,” Local
134 member David Kaczor
shared. “That and the ca-
maraderie.”
They had to run to get to
a celebration honoring longtime Local 134 State Delegate Andy
Pacucci, who recently retired. Local 134 had a group of 20 taking
the plunge, and Kaczor noted that in addition to raising money
for Special Olympics, there was another reason for participating.
“We’re dedicating this one to Andy,” he said. The enthusiasm the Po-
lar Bear Plunge breeds in
PBA members was easily
seen in the smiling group
from Plainfield Local 19.
The big group.
Last year, eight Local 19
members took the plunge.
This year, the Local had 20
members participating.
The Local even rented a
van to bring the group to Seaside Heights. Team captain Alana
Walker noted how much that helped, especially after all the ener-
gy spent on the event.
“We’re all going to be asleep on the ride home,” she quipped.
“We have a lot of rookies in our department now, so we’re getting
them here to pass it on to them. They have to step in. This is their
time now.”
Hudson County Correction Officers Local 109 Point Pleasant Boro Local 158
Hudson County Cor-
rection Officers Local 109
members Brandon Holmes
(left) and Charles Born-
gesser proudly held onto
their PBA flag as they re-
treated to the shoreline
after a numbing dip in the
ocean. Each member could
barely feel his feet, but the
camaraderie that was ev-
ident across the beach re-
minded of them of what keeps them coming back each year.
“Just look around,” Holmes said, pointing to all the PBA flags
that were waving in the distance. “The law enforcement commu-
nity is big, and we stick together. We want to make a difference
and make sure that all kids get the same opportunity that we
had.” A team of 12 Point Pleasant Boro
Local 158 members was decked out
in official SONJ Polar Bear Plunge
gear as they huddled on the board-
walk before plunge time. Among
them was Local 158 President Brian
Fennessy, whose daughter Piper was the star behind the Local
158 team name, “Piper’s Plungers.” Support for Piper was un-
questionable, as the Local 158 members rallied to raise more
than $4,000 for a cause that ensures that Special Olympic athletes
like her can continue to participate in the games without cost.
“It’s amazing just knowing that they’re all here to support indi-
viduals like my daughter,” Fennessy stated.
Four-year-old Piper was joined by her older sister Holly and
mother Lauren, who is also a PBA member. Piper participates in
the Special Olympic Young Athletes program in Berkeley, where
she enjoys fun obstacle courses and is introduced to sports like
soccer and basketball.
Somerset County Correction Officers Local 177 South Brunswick Local 166
Plenty of PBA members have
a long history of participating
in the Special Olympics Polar
Bear Plunge in New Jersey, but
few have been a part of the ex-
perience since the very begin-
ning like Scott Pearson. The
Somerset County Correction
Officers Local 177 retired member may not be able to take the
dive anymore, but he has a perfect record of attendance at the
event, starting before it was even held at Seaside Heights.
“I’ve been going since the first one when it was at Spring
Lakes,” Pearson said.
This year, the Polar Bear Plunge veteran provided mental sup-
port to a group of six Local 177 members who were about to ex-
perience the arctic shock for the first time. Among them were
Pearson’s nephew Shawn Dwyer and Local 177 treasurer Kristen
Delacruz. South Brunswick Local 166
member Jason Gassman made
his 14th consecutive plunge
this year, and he shared what
keeps him coming back despite
2019 being one of the colder
event days in recent years.
“Hanging out with all the
other cops, jumping in the water, just being stupid,” Gassman
said with a laugh. “Once you do it, you’re hooked. You do it for
the kids and you raise a lot of money.”
Local 166 had 14 members taking the plunge this year, and
they raised $10,000 to donate to Special Olympics. Their effort
even included participation from the oldest daughter of a cer-
tain NJ State PBA president. Word is that Kayleigh Colligan might
even follow in her father’s footsteps by becoming a law enforce-
ment officer and a regular participant in the Polar Bear Plunge.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ MARCH 2019 63