Hendricken comedy night to help memorialize fallen soldiers

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 4/30/15

Bishop Hendricken’s Memorial Garden, honoring alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces, all started with a game of golf.

Three years ago, Bob Furorli, who is now …

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Hendricken comedy night to help memorialize fallen soldiers

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Bishop Hendricken’s Memorial Garden, honoring alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces, all started with a game of golf.

Three years ago, Bob Furorli, who is now a retired faculty member from Hendricken, was participating in the same church golf tournament that Richard August was working. Furorli heard August was looking for a way to memorialize his son, Mathew August, a member of Hendricken’s 2003 graduating class who had lost his life in Iraq.

Furorli won more than $200 for closest to the hole, handing the envelope of cash back to August with the idea of a memorial garden on Hendricken’s campus.

To raise the funds to finish the project they are hosting a comedy night at Hendricken

Phase I was finished late last summer, with a granite memorial with the names of alumni who lost their life serving their country.

There are currently three names, Matthew August who lost his life in Iraq, Richard McKenzie, class of ’63, who lost his life fighting in Vietnam, and Eric Valdepenas class of ’03, who lost his life fighting in Iraq.

The memorial and flagpole are next to the Pepin Gymnasium along the walkway.

Furorli said, “We don’t want to forget what they have done for our country. Their names will be on that memorial long after we are gone to remind future generations.”

The finished memorial garden will include a prayer space and a sculpture of Jesus welcoming a fallen soldier into heaven, titled “Lest We Forget,” by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz.

Altogether, the project will cost an estimated $40,000. Furorli said the project is halfway towards its fundraising goal.

Their next fundraiser is a comedy night on Saturday, May 9 with New York comedian Ben Hague, also a graduate from Hendricken’s class of 2003. Before the show there will be a catered dinner from Rigatoni’s and a silent auction with tickets to various sporting events, including the Red Sox, along with other memorabilia and donations. Dinner will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Founder’s Hall and the comedy show will begin at 7 p.m. in Harop Theater. Tickets are $50 per person and all funds raised will go to completing the Memorial Prayer Garden.

August said that it is the “guidance of the Holy Spirit” that has brought the whole project together.

Richard said, “Hendricken has a reputation as not only an educational institution, but one whose philosophy instills a devotion to service the church and the community one that carries over to servicing our country.”

For more information or to register for the dinner and comedy show contact Bob Furorli at 474-0650 or bobf07@aol.com. For more information on donating to the memorial garden visit www.hendricken.com/giving/memorialgarden.  

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