NJ Cops March19 | Page 64

26th Annual Polar Bear Plunge Toms River Local 137 A boisterous group of Toms River Local 137 members huddled on the Seaside Heights beach before taking the plunge. The Local 137 team once again lived up to its reputation of supporting the Special Olympics in full force by raising $15,221 for the 26th an- nual Polar Bear Plunge. This was the 15th highest donation out of 447 teams registered for the event. 64 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2019 Union County Prosecutors Office Local 250 While some NJ State PBA Locals rented motel rooms or huddled in restaurants on the boardwalk for the Polar Bear Plunge, retired mem- bers of Union County Prosecutors Office Local 250 kept it classic with a parking-lot tailgate that could feed a village. Grillmaster Jim Weinberg was the ringleader of the group. He organizes the tailgate as an opportunity for the group of retired members to get together and support the Special Olympics, in addition to a cause that is near and dear to his heart. “I am now a cancer survivor,” Weinberg stated. “I come out for Special Olympics, but I dedicate my plunge to all of my brothers and sisters who have lost a family member to cancer.” Having his left lung removed this year wasn’t going to stop the survivor from taking the plunge for the third time, alongside 15 of his brothers and sisters from Local 250. Dino Caminiti was one of the many who enjoyed the tailgate while supporting Weinberg, whom he served alongside on the Union County SWAT Team. “I still miss the job and I miss all the people I worked with,” Caminiti stressed. “But the brotherhood is still here.”