Crime & Safety
Ferndale Officers Brave Icy Detroit River For Special Olympics
Area police raised over $640 for Special Olympics in Michigan by taking the polar bear plunge at Belle Isle Saturday.

Ferndale Police Chief Timothy Collins took the polar bear plunge at Belle Isle Saturday morning. The chief and five other officers, whose plunge helped raise $640 for Special Olympics in Michigan, took their quick dips in the icy waters of the Detroit River with divers in full gear assisting them. Photos posted to the department's Twitter account show smiling faces, despite the chilly circumstances.
The annual event is the greatest source of fundraising for Special Olympics in Michigan. This year’s, Polar Plunge campaign raised $84,000. Polar Plunges are a Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) event. LETRs benefit Special Olympics with help from law enforcement and corrections officers throughout Michigan. 2018’s Plunges will support over 23,000 Special Olympians in Michigan.
In addition to the chief, Ferndale's Polar Plungers included Captain Vincent Palazzolo, Michael Wisniewski, Tamica Brooks, Chad Cox and A.J. Fugate. While the plug is over, donations may still be made through the team's First Giving donations page.
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Photo of Chief Collins and Tamica Brooks via Ferndale Police.
We raised a total of $640 for @SpOlympicsMI & were able to watch Capt Palazzolo & M Wisniewski from @FerndaleMich DPW take the Polar Plunge. pic.twitter.com/Nin7zZHVmU
— Ferndale Police Dept (@FerndalePolice) February 25, 2018
Find out what's happening in Ferndalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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