Source: New Jersey Hills.com
The local Police Benevolent Association (PBA) No. 92 and an entertainment venue are joining forces to help a borough resident who police and supporters are calling “a local hero” — a Marine Corps veteran who was severely injured when he stepped on a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan.
The PBA fund-raising event Rose City Roll, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Stryxe, an entertainment venue featuring 20 lanes for bowling, amusements, an upscale eatery, wood-fired specialty pizza, two bars and private event space at 300 Main St.
Madison police Sgt. Paul Kosakowski said the evening of food and fun will include bowling, amusement games, billiards, appetizers, and wood-fired Tabisca pizza. Additionally there will be beer, wine and spirits tastings donated by event sponsors.
While the Rose City Roll principally is a benefit for the Madison PBA, Kosakowski said that during the planning stages the police union also “wanted to benefit the community,” and that’s when the name Todd Love came up.
Todd Love joined the Marine Corps right after high school. He was assigned to “B” Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. As a result of his injuries, the third-generation Marine lost both legs and part of his left arm.
After a long recovery battle, Love has refused to let his injuries hold him back — whitewater kayaking, skiing, skydiving, and even climbing a 20-foot wall in an obstacle course with his platoon friends — all without the benefit of prosthetic legs. He also learned how to play Bach on the piano with one hand. Love said he’s gratified if his life story serves “as an inspiration to others.”
His story definitely inspired the Madison PBA, as the young veteran now lives on Ridgedale Avenue with his wife, Amanda Sullivan Love, whose family home is in Short Hills. “We met with them” to discuss a PBA fund-raising event, Sgt. Kosakowski said, and since it turned out the medically retired corporal is in need of a new wheelchair, “he was all for it.”
Donations for the May 8 benefit are $55 per guest. Tickets can be purchased through the PBA by contacting police Cpl. Vincent DellaValle, the PBA’s president, by calling police headquarters at (973) 593-3000 or by email to dellavallev@mpd.rosenet.org, or by contacting Sgt. Paul Kosakowski at (973) 593-3000 or kosakowskip @ mpd.rosenet.org.
Tickets also are available online at stryxe.com/pba, with a processing fee of about $4.