Son of injured cop gets help from Big Brown

[Buttercup]

Regarding the officer mentioned in this thread: http://www.officerresource.com/forum...ad.php?t=27866



Big Brown owners to help son of injured Nassau cop

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN Newsday.com

May 23, 2008


Big Brown's future in the racing history books remains unclear for two weeks, but the colt's owners are making sure the financial future of a Nassau police officer's son will never be in doubt.

Michael Iavarone and Richard Schiavo announced Friday that they will donate a portion of the thoroughbred's potential Belmont Stakes earnings to help the 6-year-old son of Kenneth Baribault, the police officer injured Sunday when his cruiser was struck by an alleged drunken driver on the Long Island Expressway.

The police officer remains in critical but stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow and may undergo another pelvic surgery next week, a hospital representative said.

Iavarone said the donation will "secure the security" of Baribault's son, Christopher, "for the rest of his life."

He declined to say how much would be donated, saying that would be discussed with the family in private. A first-place finish of the Belmont pays $620,000. But after the news conference he added, "We're going to be doing a lot more than Belmont. That's why I didn't want to release [that information]. Because it's not about the money."

Baribault's sisters Danielle Rella and Jennifer Baribault, his son, who donned a purple Nassau County Police Department baseball cap, and the boy's mother, Kendra Sauvola, attended the announcement at Belmont Park but declined to speak. Baribault's parents were with the officer at the hospital.

The event also was attended by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey, Nassau police officers and Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, who will wear a Nassau police patch on his uniform during the Belmont Stakes.

"They're a lot of people pulling for Big Brown, but we're also pulling for Big Blue," Suozzi said.

Staff writers Sophia Chang and Carl MacGowan contributed to this story.




I'll be cheering for Big Brown tomorrow!

[Rhino]

It's people like that are my heroes.

[Star Man]

I wonder if the offer is still good since the horse came in last. I hope it is.

[Buttercup]

Yes it is. Their offer was not contingent on the outcome of the race.

[matt86]

Thats a great and selfless thing. Gives me chills reading the story