| SPRINGFIELD In May 2004, Officer Ronnie Tatro passed away very unexpectedly at a very young age. He had been a police officer in Springfield right up until the time of his passing. In memory of Tatro, his family, many police officers and their families and friends of the Tatro family decided to start a golf tournament to honor his memory. The goal of the golf tournament is to raise funds to be used as scholarships for young people who are going to school to become police officers, fire fighters, EMT's, nurses or to study for other safety and health related careers. This year the Ronnie Tatro Scholarship Committee awarded three $500 scholarships to the following people: Elizabeth McFarlin of Chicopee who is attending Elms College, where she is studying to enter the field of nursing; Seth Barker of Ludlow who is attending Westfield State College, studying to enter the field of law enforcement; Paul Kennedy of Holyoke who is attending Holyoke Community College, where he is studying to enter the field of law enforcement. Coincidentally, the fathers of all three scholarship recipients this year are members of the Springfield Police Department. Plans are already underway for the 2008 Ronnie Tatro Memorial Golf Tournament, which provides the funding for the scholarships each year. Tatro's family and friends decided that the awarding of scholarships would be the most fitting tribute to such an honorable and dedicated family man, police officer and human being. By honoring these young people with the awarding of these scholarships, the memory and the career of Office Ronnie Tatro will be appropriately kept alive. |
