Law Enforcement Appreciation Night Scheduled On July 7
Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate, will host Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at their Friday, July 7 game at TD Bank Ballpark. The Patriots take on the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) at 7:05 pm.
Bridgewater, New Jersey – The Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate, will host Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at their Friday, July 7 game at TD Bank Ballpark. The Patriots take on the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) at 7:05 pm.
The event will honor Anthony Varvaro, a Port Authority Police Officer and retired Major League Baseball player, who died in a motor vehicle accident on the way to a September 11 memorial ceremony in 2022.
Varvaro, who grew up in Staten Island, played at Curtis High School and St. John's University. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 and had a six-year MLB career as a reliever with the team, as well as with the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox.
At the July 7 event, Varvaro’s wife Kerry will throw out a ceremonial first pitch and there will be a moment of silence in his honor before the game. The honor guard will be provided by Phillipsburg Police Department accompanied by the Bergen County Pipes and Drums.
The Patriots have partnered with Brothers Before Others and Bikers Against Cop Killers (B.A.C.K.) and their National Flower Fund, who will be the recipient of the evening’s 50/50 raffle. Founded in 2014, Brothers Before Others is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charity, composed of active and retired law enforcement officers. The organization’s original objective was to provide a floral arrangement to every officer's department and family, ensuring that no line of duty death would go unnoticed. Since inception, there have been thousands of floral arrangements sent to date. With the help of its over 5,000 members, BBO has been involved with many other charitable endeavors.
Brothers Before Others Inc. have donated 500 tickets to the game to the Snug Harbor Little League, where Anthony Varvaro served as President before his passing.
The game’s National Anthem will be performed by Danica Marie Finken, a Phillipsburg High School senior that will be escorted by two members of the national organization Bikers Against Cop Killers (BACK).
A helicopter flyover by the New Jersey State Police is scheduled. Following the game, there will be a postgame fireworks show.
For more information about the event, please contact [email protected].