ar
nual Pol
25th An
It’s fun, and it’s personal,
for Plainfield Local
Alana Walker led members of Plainfield Local 19 back into
the water for another dip. And another. Two officers from this
team of 12 even went in a fourth time or maybe a fifth. They lost
count after a while.
The repeated runs into the ocean could have easily been con-
strued as a way to blow off some steam and cool down after yet
another stressful week on the beat, as they all seem to have be-
come. But there was a definite goal for the Local to have fun.
“Just having everybody together,” Walker, the Local 19 secre-
tary, responded when asked about what made this day special.
“To have a team together to do this is so nice,” she continued.
“We get this camaraderie and it’s lovely.”
Walker, however, also acknowledged something that all of the
law enforcement officers participating in the plunge have in
common. All law enforcement officers, actually.
“You know everybody here is affected by someone who is
special needs, even just doing the job,” she explained. “We have
to make sure that we’re sympathetic and empathetic to people
with special needs.”
Beyond that, Walker had another reason for getting this team
together and chilling out in the ocean for her fourth consecu-
tive year.
“I have somebody in my family who has special needs, so this
is near and dear to me,” she revealed. “We’re here to get every-
body together and make people aware that everybody is the
same.”
Local 19 has spread that message and made it so personal
that its plunge team has grown from the two members it started
with 12 years ago. Member Michael Bowe has boosted the effort
by participating each of the past six years. That was after mov-
ing to Plainfield from State Corrections and plunging with Local
105 for six years.
He sees the growth as a sign of how officers truly want to help
the cause.
“We’re in the early stages,” he confirmed. “If we could get
more people to understand that it’s about having fun and mak-
ing donations, that would be great.”
Walker wonders if some officers are reluctant to participate
because running into near-freezing water isn’t exactly the defi-
nition of fun. And she wants to assure them otherwise.
“They know that it’s for a good cause,” she emphasized. “So
why not have a good time and have a good cause at the same
time?” d
Bear Plunge
Guttenberg member
is one for all
The
whatever-it-takes
motivation to be part of the
Polar Bear Plunge followed
Guttenberg Local 88 member
Damien Pissano into the At-
lantic.
Splashing down for his fifth
Polar Bear Plunge, Pissano
held up the Local 88 end this
year. In past plunges, the Gut-
tenberg group was often the
last one standing in the water.
Pissano went solo this year,
waving that Local 88 flag that
has been omnipresent each
year in Seaside Heights. And
he still made it for the long
Damien Pissano (far left, black shirt)
haul.
“It benefits a good cause, carried the flag for Guttenberg Local
you know, so that’s all that 88.
matters,” Pissano revealed. “And it’s all about the brotherhood.
When you’re in there freezing, that makes you feel good.” d
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