The man once known as “Chef Boyardee with an attitude” has learned his lesson.
Tinley Park part-time police Officer Dennis Reilly has taken hundreds of polar plunges in his years with both the Riverdale and Tinley Park departments.
While with the Riverdale force, Reilly took part in his first polar plunge to benefit Illinois Special Olympics about 17 or 18 years ago at Lake Bluff in Lake County.
“Everybody had a costume on,” he said. “I used to be a cook in the Navy, and I dressed up as Chef Boyardee with an attitude. I had a spatula and a billy club along with a chef’s apron and a chef’s hat.
“Everyone had costumes. You had Shreks. You had Batmans. You name it. You had everything and anything out there.”
Now at age 61 and making his most recent plunges for Tinley Park Saturday at the police station, Reilly is no longer dressing up.
“You would think that the more you wear, the warmer you will be,” he said. “But that’s not the case. The cold water sticks to the clothes.”
Reilly was a part of the first group taking one of many plunges in a pool east of the station on Saturday. In all, more than 10 people took multiple plunges during the daylong event, including a period of double plunges in the afternoon.
The cops estimated the temperature was 19 degrees during the first jump and detective Robby Frias said it was cold but worth it as the event was expected to raise $35,000 in pledges and other donations.
Frias, who organized the event, is continuing a family tradition. His father, Bob Frias, was a longtime member of the Oak Forest Police Department.
“He was big into the Special Olympics and the Torch Run,” Frias said. “He explained that this is something that is bigger than yourself.
“This job that we do is a vocation. It’s where your skill set and the needs of the world meet. You get a chance to help people, and you get a chance to do stuff above and beyond.”
Frias said cops can be a hero to Special Olympians.
“It’s great when you can put a medal around a special athlete’s neck,” he said. “The biggest hugs you get are from the athletes. It’s just infectious. You can’t have a bad day after one of those events or even after this event once you know what your effort is benefitting.”
Chief Thomas Tilton joined the morning crew of Frias, Reilly, Officers Dominic Manzella and Kyle Heneghan and Special Olympic volunteer Scott Fridrych for “moral support.” He did not venture into the pool.
He said he has never done a plunge.
Meanwhile, he is happy with the work the department has done for Special Olympics.
“It’s a national association that the police have with Special Olympics,” he said. “But it’s been a really personal part of this Police Department.
“One of our retired commanders was a state and national leader in this for a long time, so it’s really become ingrained in this department.”
Plunging in cold water on a cold day is a tough job but someone has to do it. Frias said it’s not hard to round up people to do it.
“You know what? When you see the athletes at these events and you see where all of this support goes to, it’s easy to ignite that fire and get people jazzed up about it,” Frias said.
Reilly doesn’t have to be convinced. Even before taking up plunging for the cause, he supported the Special Olympics. He estimates he has volunteered with the organization in some capacity for 33 years.
“I was fortunate to be able to be healthy and there are other people who aren’t,” he said. “This is my way of giving back. It’s been a blessing for me more than the athletes.
“I made great relationships with numerous athletes over the years. We can learn more as a society from these athletes because they just want to be treated equal.”
Reilly said people in the world are worried about so many things but that’s not what it’s about.
“I’m here to raise awareness and raise money for our athletes so that they can enjoy life just as much and you and I,” Reilly said.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
