Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 21, 2019 Officer Harold L. Vitale Memorial Fund presents 2019 scholarships (Editor’s Note: The following information is from a press release issued this week by the Officer Harold L. Vitale Memorial Fund to honor the fund’s 2019 scholarship recipients.) O n Saturday, June 15, six high school students from Saugus, Revere, Danvers, Ipswich, Hamilton-Wenham and North Reading were awarded scholarships at the annual reception at the Officer Vitale Memorial Park on Ballard Street in Saugus. “You couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Les Vitale, brother of the late officer. “The weather was perfect, and it was a great day to start Father’s Day weekend. Our family has the honor of coming to this beauEminating from The Clubhouse in Chelsea... A Tradition Continues Rte. 1 Grill House and Boswell Entertainment Present Angelena Hightower and The Unit performing at 8:00 p.m. with music by D.J. Laurie 817 Broadway (Route 1 South), Saugus (781) 558-2271 505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family tiful park named after Harold for over 25 years now, where we get to remember him for how he lived, not how he died,” he said. “This is very satisfying for us. Not many small organizations like ours are fortunate enough to host an event like this for more than 25 years, so we’re extremely grateful to have this opportunity. To enjoy this day with these students and their families on the eve of Father’s Day every year is special, and to top it off, June 18 is the 34th Anniversary of Harold’s death and Friday, June 14 [would have been] his 77th birthday, and this year marks the 27th consecutive year the Fund has granted scholarships.” Victoria Vitale, the niece to THIS YEAR’S VITALE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: Pictured with their families, from left to right, are Madison Slane, Saugus; Zachary Forni, Ipswich High School, Ipswich; Gianna Costa, North Reading High School, North Reading; and Nicolas Cicolini, St. Mary’s High School, Danvers. Unable to attend were Lauren Verge, Hamilton Wenham High School, Hamilton; and Matthew Stasio, Revere High School, Revere. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) Restaurant Hours Monday – Wednesday 11:00 A.M. – 9:30 P.M. Thursday – Saturday 11:00 A.M. – 10:30 P.M. Sunday 12:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. Lounge open until 1 a.m. Start the Weekend off Right with Night Friday, June 21st 8:00 p m. Come out and Enjoy a great evening of Appetizers, Drinks and Live Music! the late officer, said, “I was born in April 1985 just a few months before he was killed, and my brother Nick was born a little more than a year later, so we weren’t aware of things at the time he was killed, but that makes the Reception even more special for us because we get to listen to stories about him and learn about what a great guy he was.” Nick noted, “The reception brings us all together every year, and a lot of our relatives come to the Park so it’s like a big family reunion. I like to listen to my family and his coworkers tell stories about him; even though he was killed just before I was born, I really feel like I knew him.” “From what I hear, everyone says he was ‘the best,’” said Nick. “We got to learn all about what ‘Vitale Pride’ is. My uncles always tell us he’s the one who coined that phrase – that’s awesome!” Bob Vitale, a retired Transit Police Officer and brother of the late Officer, said, “It’s always great to see a few of the veteran active members of the Department who remain on the job and some of the retirees come to the Park to enjoy this with us, but it’s really great to see so many of the younger guys show up to pay their respects. These guys don’t forget. A lot of the children of the officers have received scholarships, and this year will be more of the same.” “It’s not an exaggeration to In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today say there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him,” said his brother Dick Vitale. “He had that kind of impact on me. You could depend on him for anything, anytime, anywhere, no questions asked.” Eileen Vitale, wife of the late officer, remarked, “June 18 is always a tough day for me, always has been, always will be. I love that we still host the park reception and the annual golf tournament. It’s a great, proud way to keep Harold’s memory alive. Our charity work allows us to continue supporting victim advocacy organizations (National Concerns of Police Survivors [C.O.P.S.]), N.E. C.O.P.S. and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), amazing organizations who reached out to help us back in 1985. When you’re down and not sure where to turn for help, they suddenly appear out of nowhere and help you learn how to cope. Doing all of this is really important to us and we continue to make an impact.” The Officer Vitale Memorial Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization and was created in 1992 some seven years after Officer Vitale’s death. In the early morning hours of June 18, 1985, Officer Vitale was killed in the line of duty while attempting to make an arrest – he was dragged over 1,000 feet to his death. Officer Vitale was 42 at the time and married to Eileen; he lived in Ipswich with three children: Paul, Michelle and JacLyn. Officer Vitale’s badge #17 was retired upon his death. Officer Vitale Memorial Park was constructed by the Town of Saugus in 1992 in his honor. The Memorial Fund will be hosting its annual Golf Tournament on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, at noon at Ipswich Country Club. Information submitted by Officer Harold L. Vitale Memorial Fund, Inc. President Les Vitale c/o Caputo & Co., CPA’s, 99 Conifer Hill Dr., Suite 202, Danvers, MA 01923 – visit on the web at www.vitalememorialfund.org.
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