O’Grady-Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund Names 2023 Recipients

NYACK, NY – The O’Grady-Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund announces the recipients of their 2023 scholarship awards. Each recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The annual scholarship awards breakfast will take place June 3 at the Nyack Seaport. The guest speaker will Be Christopher Strattner, Director of the Rockland County Police & public Safety Academy and retired Orangetown Police Sergeant.

The breakfast is to acknowledge these young women and men and let them know that this memorial scholarship, founded to perpetuate the goals, aspirations and ideals that characterize these two tragically slain Nyack police officers who continue to live on through its recipients, said Undersheriff Robert W. Van Cura, chairman of the Fund.

The public is invited to attend. Tickets to the event are $25. Tickets are available by contacting the fund by email at ogradybrown@gmail.com

2023 Recipients:

• Thomas Cortelli, Pearl River HS, Pearl River, NY
• Nia Simone Flowers, Nanuet High School, Nanuet, NY
• Aidan McGrath, Pearl River HS, Pearl River, NY
• Briana Sinnott, Nyack HS, Upper Nyack, NY
• Montana Veit, North Rockland HS, Stony Point, NY

Additional information about the Scholarship Fund can be found at www.ogradybrown.com

Nyack police Sgt. Edward O'Grady, Jr and Nyack police officer Waverly "Chipper" Brown were killed in 1981 by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground fleeing from the $1.8 million armored-car robbery they had just committed in Nanuet, killing Brinks guard Peter Paige. Nyack police tried to stop the robbers at the Route 59 entrance to the New York State Thruway shortly afterward. O'Grady and Brown were killed in the gunfight and Detective Arthur Keenan was wounded.