Most people pull their feet out of the water when it's just slightly colder than they'd like. But last weekend, just a day after the Feb. 22 snowstorm, thousands of police officers from the South Bergenite area and from all around the state traveled to Seaside Heights and willingly ran headlong into the near-freezing ocean.

Officers from all over New Jersey participated in the 2008 Polar Bear Plunge at Seaside Heights to raise money for the Special Olympics.

"This was our best year. We had well over 3,500 plungers this year," said Captain Joseph Sarnoski of the Lyndhurst Police Department. People can enter individually or in teams. Each person needs to raise at least $100 to participate. Individual officers from East Rutherford, North Arlington and Rutherford all participated and Lyndhurst carried on a tradition of fielding a team of about 30 officers, according to Sarnoski. Together the team raised over $5,000 and altogether the daylong event raised just over $700,000.

This year the air was 34 degrees and the water was 38, a relatively mild combination for these swimmers.

"Two years ago it was 24 degrees and the water was 30," said Sarnoski. It was so cold out the water was welcome relief to some of the plungers. In previous years they've even had to plow the beach to remove all the snow before the event.

Officers Richard Holicki and Ronal Guirland came up with the idea of getting embroidered white bathrobes with the words "Lyndhurst Police Department Plunge Team" and the officers’ names on them. Holicki said each time an officer participates they get the year embroidered on the sleeve.

Characters abound

Participants' reactions range from just getting one's feet wet to long swims through the water. One ex-marine always runs through the surf with his army helmet on waving a PBA flag. Some people even don funny hats and strange costumes for the event. One officer donned a head to toe shark outfit.

"Me in a swimsuit is funny enough," said Officer Scott Ahearn of the Rutherford Police. "I don't need to get dressed up." Ahearn has been attending the event for at least 10 years, even though he's only been a police officer for seven. He started going with his father, a now-retired Rutherford officer, when he was a kid and has kept up the tradition ever since. Ahearn's father, though he couldn't make it this year, has kept on going since he retired.

Sarnoski, a member of the Special Olympics State Committee for 12 years, has taken on quite a unique roll at these events: he dresses in a polar bear costume his wife designed and serves as the event's lead mascot.

"Just before the plunge I go on the boardwalk and get people all revved up," he said. Sarnoski used to go in the water himself, but he jokes that his role as polar bear has given him a convenient excuse to stay out and still participate.

Ahearn said that what makes the event such a great fundraiser is that lots of people would do it just for the novelty even if it weren't also for a cause.

"Some people forget they're doing it for charity because they're doing it just to be crazy," he said.

Unique styles

Officer Mark Ballantyne of the North Arlington Police said he's somewhat of a purist about the event.

"People have different rules," said Ballantyne. "My rule is you've got to actually dive in." He said he runs in till the water's up to about his waste, then dives. "If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it." Ballantyne, who has been attending the event for 15 years, said this was the first year he got his wife to join in as well.

Ahearn said there's a definite thrill that comes when the whole group runs yelling towards the freezing water. He always makes sure he's in the front line of the plungers.

"You cannonball in," said Sergeant Chris Conforti of East Rutherford. "You've got to get your money's worth."

Conforti and the other officers also participate in some of the Special Olympics' other local fundraisers such as an Olympic torch relay-run across all the towns in New Jersey in which officers hand off one of ten torches from person to person at town borders until the torches all meet in Trenton.

"It gives the kids something to look forward to," said Holicki.

"Of all the charities [the Special Olympics] is one of a kind," said Conforti. "You look at the kids and you see what they're capable of and that they're happy and they're into it."