NJ Cops March2018 | Page 34

Plunge Annual Polar 5th Annual 2 25th Polar Bear Bear Plu nge Bergen County Local members keep on coming It only takes one Polar Bear Plunge to understand why mem- bers keep coming back. Allendale-Waldwick Local 217 member Vincent Rizzo and Upper Saddle River Local 218 member An- thony Pulizzano learned this when they took the plunge for the first time in 2017. So there was no question that they would join their brothers and sisters to represent the Bergen County Con- ference again this year. “I’m going to do it every year from now on,” Pulizzano con- firmed. “I love the atmosphere. There’s thousands of people here and everyone’s in a good mood.” For Pulizzano, who organizes the annual Climb with a Cop SONJ fundraising event in Upper Saddle River, the plunge gave him another excuse to stay active in the great outdoors while supporting a cause close to his heart. “The first year that I attended the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony, it was life-changing,” he declared. “And I’m an out- doorsman, so I don’t mind being out in the cold.” Rizzo returned to Seaside Heights looking forward to reunit- ing with Port Authority Local 116 members who he used to work with before moving to work in Allendale. Even though the Polar Bear Plunge pregame was filled with tailgating and conversing with old friends, Rizzo knew that the post-plunge cooldown would be a little different this year as he returned home to his 7-month-old child. “Last year, I grabbed some Maruca’s pizza and went home to take a nap,” Rizzo recalled. “There won’t be any nap this year. I’m going home to the baby.” For other Bergen County Conference members like Northern Valley Local 233 President Reggie Parsells, Polar Bear Plunge consistency is what keeps them coming back. Standing amongst the group of nearly 30 Local 233 members, Parsells listed an in- ventory of his Local’s unwavering support. “Our delegate has done this 18 or 19 times. Our chief has done 23 years in a row,” Parsells noted. “I have 13 years under my belt, but I aspire to reach as many (plunges) as these guys.” The busload of Local 233 members who gathered on Ocean Terrace proved that there was no raining on their plunge parade as the skies opened but the Bergen County Conference celebra- tion continued. “This rain doesn’t stop anybody,” Parsells urged. “Look at these guys: They’re fully invested. We’re going to keep this going for a long time.” d West Windsor is Jersey Shore strong The sting of the Atlantic Ocean’s 40-degree temperature didn’t seem to bother a team of 18 West Windsor Township Local 271 members who stormed the shore wearing matching camo gear and with a unified positive attitude. Even after taking the plunge 18 times, the icy dip hasn’t lost its thrill for Local 271 President Melissa Nagy, who looks forward to supporting SONJ each year with the PBA. Nagy, who used to be a Seaside Heights Local 252 special offi- cer, decided that in addition to raising money and waving their PBA flag in support of SONJ athletes, Local 271 members should From left, West Windsor Local 271 members who participated included Rob Poskay, Melissa Nagy and Alfonso Robles. have the full Jersey Shore experience. For the second year in a row, Local 271 members, families and friends took over the Jer- sey Shore house from the famed MTV reality show to warm up after the February beach day and prolong the exhilaration. “It’s such an amazing cause,” Nagy said. “These kids are awe- some.”d 34 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2018