Annual VMA ‘Evening of Champs’ honors local heros
Pictured at a previous year’s Evening of Champions event are (back, l-r) Michael Bernard, VMA Physical Education
director; Joseph Imperatrice, Blue Lives Matter NYC founder; NYPD assistant chief Edward Delatorre; Iran
‘The Blade’ Barkley; Zahraa Majeed, detective investigator for NYS Attorney General Schneiderman; Carlos
Delgado, Blue Lives Matter NYC co-founder with Delatorre’s grandchildren (front, l-r) Dillon, Connor, Annabella
and McKenna. Silvio J. Pacifi co
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 22-28, 2019 9
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Villa Maria Academy continues
to honor the legacy of
one of New York’s great heroes
as it honors students who care
about physical fi tness.
VMA will commemorate
more than three decades of
the physical fi tness achievement
by its students with the
31st Annual Detective Steven
McDonald Evening of Champions,
named after the late
NYPD detective who extolled
students with his message of
dedication and forgiveness at
previous years’ event.
McDonald, who passed in
2017, is the namesake for the
event, which honors students
with high achievement on the
New York State Physical Fitness
Test and their families
with dinner and an awards
ceremony, said Michael Bernard,
VMA’s Physical Education
director.
This year’s events will
honor the school’s grades K
to third on Tuesday, April 9
and grades four to eight on
Wednesday, April 10, he said.
Terence Monahan, the
NYPD’s Chief of Department
and its only four-star chief
will be the keynote speaker,
and will represent Police Commissioner
James O’Neill, who
attended in the event in previous
years.
2019 Detective Steven Mc-
Donald Courageous Spirit
Awards will be presented to
Pat Barr, F.D.N.Y. hero and
Theresa Sareo, amputee survivor
and singer.
Special guests will include
Patti Ann McDonald widow of
Detective McDonald; McDonald’s
son, NYPD Sgt. Conor
McDonald; NYPD Chief Edward
Delatorre; world boxing
legends Gerry Cooney and
Iran Barkley; and 1969 Miracle
NY Met Art Shamsky.
Bernard said that over the
years, he has been able to get
big name athletes and important
law enforcement offi cials
to speak to the children by
simply asking if they would
attend and offering invitations
to many possible dignitaries.
“We try to make this event
uplifting and motivational,”
said Bernard. “We hope that
they give a message to the kids
of not giving up and trying
your best.”
Bernard, who started the
event when he started working
at VMA, said that it evolved
over the years from a simple
breakfast into an event in
which some 35 to 40 sponsors
donate trays of food to feed up
to 400 people a night and other
items.
McDonald really captivated
the students attention
when he used to attend the
event, and Bernard hopes to
create similar memorable moments
again this year.
“That is something that
we hope for: that the children
walk away with more than a
trophy,” said Bernard.
He singled out parents
John McGrath, James Scerbo,
Gimardi Mascia and Mike
Pennisi who worked tirelessly
on planning the event, along
with 40 other parent volunteers.