Even though it had snowed several inches the night before, nothing was going to stop a group of dedicated law enforcement personnel from several Hudson County agencies and municipalities from getting together for a few games of touch football.
After all, this wasn’t your average Saturday football extravaganza. This one had a cause. They were raising money for a foundation that was established to remember a beautiful young lady who was tragically killed in a drinking-related driving accident.
North Bergen Police Officer Artie Del coordinated the tournament, which got 12 teams of dedicated officers from all over the county to play football to raise money for the Rebeka Verea Foundation.
The foundation was established by Dr. Jorge and Lourdes Verea, the parents of 18-year-old Cliffside Park High School graduate Rebeka Verea, who was killed on her graduation night. She was the passenger in a speeding car that was driven by a driver allegedly under the influence of alcohol last June on West Side Avenue in North Bergen.
The Verea Foundation was formed to inform others about the evils of drinking and driving.
Del, the vice-president of the North Bergen Police Benevolent Association, wanted to do something to benefit the foundation.
“I responded to that accident,” Del said. “I was the second officer there. It was a horrible scene. I felt so bad that we couldn’t do anything at all to save her. So I figured, as police officers, we could do something to help the cause.”
Different agencies stepped up So Del came up with the idea of the touch football tournament, pitting different teams of officers from different departments against each other for a day of fun. There were two teams of police officers from North Bergen, as well as three teams from the Union City Police Department, two teams from the NJ Transit police, as well as teams from the Weehawken Police, West New York Police, Jersey City Police, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and the Hudson County Corrections Department.
“I faxed the information to every police department in the county,” Del said. “It was great the way all these teams stepped up.”
The teams paid a fee to participate in the tourney, which was held inside North Hudson Braddock Park. Although there was plenty of snow to be found, the North Bergen Department of Public Works did their best to clear the area for the games.
Each team was guaranteed a total of three games. Hashway Deli and Catering on Kennedy Boulevard spent the day cooking hot dogs and hamburgers and donated the proceeds to the Verea Foundation.
Café Bustelo donated the coffee, hot chocolate and espresso. Between the three fundraising sources, the tournament collected $4,000.
“I was happy to do this, because through the accident, I got to know the family,” Del said. “I couldn’t even think of losing a child. I knew the pain they were going through.”
North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Police Chief William Galvin were on hand. Sacco was given the uniform jersey No. 1 to wear, while Galvin donned the uniform No. 007.
“They gave me a jersey, but I wasn’t in the game,” Sacco said. “I haven’t been in the game of football for a long time. My playing days are over. But I give the officers credit. They were the ones out there, doing all the work. I’m sure there were a lot of sore bones the next day.”
Received check Dr. Jorge Verea and wife Lourdes were also on hand to receive the check, as well as to make a special presentation to Sacco for the township’s support of the foundation since the tragic accident.
“It was a nice award and I was happy to receive it,” Sacco said. “These officers were out there in the cold and snow, playing multiple games of football. One guy told me that he hadn’t run that way since high school. They also showed good sportsmanship, all playing for a good cause.”
The North Bergen All-Stars, sponsored by Colonna Cheese, were the eventual champions of the tourney, which began at 8 a.m. and went until 5 p.m. The Union City Power Squad was second, followed by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
“It was a great day and we felt good when we were able to turn over the check,” Del said. “The weather threw a curve into the mix, but the DPW came through and helped us clear the snow. It was a long day, but it shows how the law enforcement community can come together and work together for a good cause.”