Woodland Park Local 173 knocks it out of the park with second
annual Families Behind the Badge Softball Tournament
The tournament originated after Local 173
members wanted to find a way honor Jersey
City Officer Melvin Santiago after his tragic
line-of-duty death on July 13, 2014.
Before Santiago became an officer, he was
a high school shortstop and an avid Yankees
fan, so Local 173 members thought the best
way to honor his memory would be with a
softball tournament. The inaugural tournament was held on Aug. 29, 2015, and raised
$7,000 for the NJ State PBA Survivor and Welfare Fund.
With the support of community members
and the town’s Public Safety Committee Local
173 dedicated the 2016 tournament to the
memory of Fair Lawn Local 67 officer Mary
Ann Collura, who died in the line of duty on
April 17, 2003, after coming to the aid of
another officer from Clifton Local 36 attempting to arrest a convicted felon.
“I wanted to get the point across that we
don’t forget,” emphasized Woodland Park
Local 173 State Delegate Daniel Dugan. “It’s
important to keep the memory of an officer
who made that sacrifice alive. We know it was
13 years ago, but we still remember Mary
Ann.”
The beloved figure in Fair Lawn was known
for committing time and energy to local athletic programs and instituting a safety
program for the community’s trick-or-treaters
on Halloween night.
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NEW JERSEY COPS
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JUNE 2016
Woodland Park Captain Eileen Tiernan and Paul Collura (center) brother of fallen Fair Lawn Local
67 member Mary Ann Collura, get ready to cheer on the Woodland Park Local 173 softball team
before the second annual Families Behind the Badge Softball Tournament on May 21.
Collura was also a star softball player
throughout high school, and a close friend of
Woodland Park Captain Eileen Tiernan, who
had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial
first pitch.
“Our captain had lunch with Mary Ann the
afternoon (she died) and they were childhood
friends,” explained Dugan. “She threw out that
first pitch with Mary Ann’s glove and it was a
very emotional moment.”
Collura’s brother Paul and sister-in-law
Lauren were in attendance to watch 12
Locals compete for the championship trophy before a crowd of 250 people. Paterson
Local 1 defended its title winning the final
matchup.
“It’s been a long time since I can remember laughing like that,” admitted Dugan. “It’s
a fun day and it’s therapeutic. We only hope
that it continu