While the beach may not be the most popular weekend spot in February, more than 10,000 people were on the sand and boardwalk in Point Pleasant two weeks ago – including five West New York Police Officers who had stripped to their swim trunks.
“The boardwalk was wall-to-wall people,” said Det. Scott Jeffrey, who was one of the officers who ran into the ocean, recently.
Although this is the first year that the West New York Police Department took part in the Polar Plunge fundraising event for the Special Olympics, Deputy Chief Tom O’Donnell and Detective Scott Jeffrey expect a bigger crowd for the event next year. The Special Olympics sponsors 23 sporting events for disabled athletes throughout the year, including bowling, swimming, and track and field.
The Polar Plunge has been sponsored by the state Patrolman’s Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police organizations for the past four years.
This year, the event raised more than $500,000, with approximately $1,000 from the West New York Department.
“We as a department try to do whatever we can for charities,” said Deputy Chief Thomas O’Donnell, who was one of the two West New York Police Officers who took part in the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run last spring.
The town’s police department participates in many other charitable events throughout the year, especially during Christmastime. They work with the Salvation Army to provide gifts for needy children, and sponsor local Little League baseball teams and grammar school Walk-a-thons.
Det. Scott Jeffrey and Thomas Mannion, Police Officers George Mundo and Tim Richards and Deputy Chief Thomas O’Donnell took the plunge.
Diving in
Anyone who went into the water that day will never forget how cold it was. According to O’Donnell and Jeffrey, the water was 37 degrees and the air temperature was recorded at 44 degrees.
“It wasn’t bitter cold, but the water was cold,” said O’Donnell.
However, once they were there, the officers were not going to back down.
“It is something that I have always wanted to do,” said Jeffrey, who spear-headed the department’s participation in this year’s plunge. “Once I got my first donation I had no choice but to do it.”
Four-thousand participants ran into the water at 1:30 p.m.
“It was less than a minute,” said O’Donnell about how long he stayed in the ocean, adding that they weren’t given a time that they had to stay in.
“I said that I was going to swim, so I took three strokes,” said Jeffrey.
“We always like to give back to the public,” said O’Donnell. “This was a chance for us to go beyond or normal business and do something for the less fortunate.”
Not just swimming
Although the participants didn’t jump into the water until 1:30, registration began at 10:30 a.m. followed by a costume contest.
According to O’Donnell, one participant arrived to the beach wearing a complete bridal gown. Among some of the other costumes were clowns, cavemen and the cartoon character Sponge Bob.
The plunge was followed by a luncheon for all participants and observers.