$45,000 In Scholarships Awarded To Fairfield Police Offspring

FAIRFIELD, CT — Eighteen children of Fairfield police officers on Wednesday received scholarship awards of $2,500 each, as the 2023 recipients of the Fairfield Police Union Scholarship Fund.

The annual union awards began in 2014 with a $10,000 donation by Southport veterinarian Dr. Joan Poster and her late husband, Dennis Poster. Over the decade, the fund has distributed more than $400,000 in scholarships.

"The community has been phenomenal," Fairfield Deputy Police Chief Keith Broderick, a past union president who runs the fund, told Patch. "From day one, people have said this is about 'kids, cops and education?' I'm in."

Wednesday's ceremony at the Fairfield Museum & History Center was attended by First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, the recipients and their families.

To help fund the awards, the union hosts fundraising events, such as a 5K race and golf tournament, which Broderick said will help keep the fund going for generations.

"It's opened our eyes to the generosity of the residents of this town," Broderick said of the donations to the program. "We're very grateful."

The 2023 recipients of the Fairfield Police Union Scholarship Fund are:

• Erica Biegel
• Justin Cahill
• Nicolas Cahill
• Joseph Coppola
• Jeremy DeAngelis
• Charlotte Esposito
• Caitlin Fenton
• Lauren Fenton
• Meghan Fenton
• Taylor Galemba
• Marin Kalamaras
• Colin McKeon
• Edward Nook
• Evan Papageorge
• Milo Terifay
• Riley Terifay
• Ryann Wiltsie
• Landon Zdru