Troopers Participating in Ironman Event to Benefit Scholarship Fund

Three New Jersey State Police troopers will be pushing themselves through an intense athletic event in an effort to raise money for a scholarship fund that awards money to high school students and families in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The scholarship fund, named the Scott M. Gonzalez Memorial Fund in honor of a trooper who was killed in the line of duty in Mansfield in 1997, helps students who are planning to attend college and families who have suffered from a line of duty injury or death in their family as a result of a line of duty injury.

"We seek out the underdog student who may not have the best grades or is not the best athlete but shows determination to overcome their obstacles. They are students that are like Scott, that with perseverance and determination they can accomplish their personal goals. These students may have a learning disability or have faced a family or personal tragedy or illness. They are not likely to be recognized for their efforts through other scholarship programs, but deserve to be," a press release said.

About $500,000 has been awarded through the fund so far and about $50,000 is awarded per year if the funds are available to do so.

Three participants from Montville, including state troopers Christopher Burke, Robert Roll and John Widovic and local participants John Ravenelle, Laura Hingle, Kurt Harsely and Dorothy Lovenguth, will be participating in the first Ironman U.S. Championship in New York City on Aug. 11 to raise money for the fund. During the event, the participants will swim 2.4 miles, ride a bike for 112 miles and run a 26.2-mile marathon within 17 hours. The New Jersey participants are hoping to complete the event sooner, in between 11 and 13 hours.

Aside from the Ironman event, donations can be sent to 250 Minnisink Road, Totowa, NJ, 07512, attention A/Lt. Christopher M. Burke made payable to the Scott M. Gonzalez Memorial Fund. Donations are tax deductible.