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Fairfield Police Union Hands Out $2,000 In College Scholarships

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the first time, the Fairfield Police Union is giving college scholarships to children of their own, and in the inaugural year, it handed out $500 each to four students.

Christopher Rubis, Christopher Bodnar, Tyler Caruso and Erin Broderick all received $500 scholarships from the Fairfield Police Union, handed out by Lt. Keith Broderick and Chief Gary MacNamara.

Christopher Rubis, Christopher Bodnar, Tyler Caruso and Erin Broderick all received $500 scholarships from the Fairfield Police Union, handed out by Lt. Keith Broderick and Chief Gary MacNamara.

Photo Credit: Alissa Smith
Christopher Rubis of Monroe will be attending the University of Rhode Island and received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Christopher Rubis of Monroe will be attending the University of Rhode Island and received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Photo Credit: Alissa Smith
Tyler Caruso of Stratford plans to study business at Southern Connecticut State University received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Tyler Caruso of Stratford plans to study business at Southern Connecticut State University received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Photo Credit: Alissa Smith
Erin Brodrick of Fairfield, who will be studying education at Keene State College, received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union and her father Lt. Keith Broderick.

Erin Brodrick of Fairfield, who will be studying education at Keene State College, received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union and her father Lt. Keith Broderick.

Photo Credit: Alissa Smith
Christopher Bodnar of Trumbull, who is planning to study business at Penn State, received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Christopher Bodnar of Trumbull, who is planning to study business at Penn State, received a $500 scholarship from the Fairfield Police Union.

Photo Credit: Alissa Smith

Last year, the union decided to begin a scholarship fund. Putting it together has taken six months, just enough time to award the first scholarships before the students head off to college.

Lt. Keith Broderick said most of the town's police officers live outside of Fairfield for financial reasons, and the scholarship the union had in place for Fairfield students didn’t benefit many of the officers' children.

“The original award was supposed to be $500,” Broderick said. "But thanks to several private donors, the union was able to give out $500 scholarships to all four students who applied."

“It’s not an award based on education or GPA, it's based on need,” Broderick said.  “It’s only $500 but it’s a start.”

College is expensive, he said, and he hopes the scholarships will be able to grow over the years, perhaps to where they can award a student money for all four years of their college education.

“We hope to grow this fund into something significant in the future,” Broderick said.

Of the four students who received the scholarships, both Tyler Caruso of Stratford and Christopher Bodnar of Trumbull are planning to study business, Caruso at Southern Connecticut State University and Bodnar at Penn State.

Christopher Rubis of Monroe will be attending the University of Rhode Island and hasn't declared a major. Erin Broderick of Fairfield will study education at Keene State College.

“I want to commend Lt. Broderick and the police union for giving back. Even though it’s only $500 it certainly impacts their education,” Police Chief Gary MacNamara said.

Broderick said the scholarship fund is a 501c3 nonprofit, so donations are tax deductible. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund should contact him via email.

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