Mezzapalooza Is Back After 5 Years To Help Support Westchester Family

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — A joyful annual celebration shared by a tight-knit community that was created to mark a loss lost steam during the pandemic, but has been revived once again to come to the aid of a local family facing an unimaginable hardship.

Sergio Prosperino, a member of the event's executive board, told Patch that Mezzapalooza is returning for the first time since 2019, after a hiatus due to the pandemic, to benefit a local family.

The "Battle of the Bands" event will take place on May 11, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the pavilion in Law Memorial Park, in Briarcliff Manor. There will be a pizza truck, a cash bar, a raffle and a silent auction. You can also bring your own beverages.

Mezzapalooza is a Briarcliff-based 501c3 organization that was started in 2012 after the tragic passing of John Mezzatesta, a Briarcliff resident, in order to support the family he left behind. Due to the tremendous success of the inaugural event, Mezzapalooza continued every year until 2019, benefitting a local family in need every year.

Organizers decided to bring Mezzapalooza back in 2024 to help Briarcliff resident Scott Rowe and his family.

50-year-old Rowe is a graduate of Ossining High School, who is married to his high school sweetheart Michelle. They have two teenage daughter, Maddie who is a college freshman, and Lily, who is a high school freshman.

In July 2022, Rowe began having shortness of breath and fatigue, which were assumed to be long Covid symptoms after recovering from a bout in June of that year. Several days later, he continued to experience shortness of breath, and on the morning of July 27, 2022, his wife took him to the ER at Phelps. After running tests, it was determined Rowe had several pulmonary embolisms, with one pressing on his right ventricle. He was immediately started on blood thinners, but needed a thrombectomy to remove the larger blood clots from his lungs. While in surgery, Rowe went into cardiac arrest three times and suffered an anoxic brain injury.

Since that day in July 2022, Rowe has been in and out of the ER and ICU battling infections, pneumonia and other ailments. He continues to be in the care of the Briarcliff Manor Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, and remains in a semi-conscious state.

Tickets for Mezzapalooza 2024 can be purchased here. Attendees must be 21+. If you are unable to attend the event on May 11, there are still several ways to help, which are detailed on the Mezzapalooza website.