Frederick Garrasi III Memorial Fund
supports the following
Scholarships & Organizations:
The Patrolman Award
The Compassionate Mentor Award
Compassion International Inc.
Hogs & Heroes Foundation
A.B.A.T.E. Foundation
Cradle Beach Camp
Boys & Girls Club of Lakeshore
Lakeshore Senior High Band
Connect Life (Unyts)
Evans Playground CommitteE
Patriot Guard Riders
St. Bartholomew’s Youth Group
Frederick Garrasi III was a resident of Angola, NY and died May 3, 2013 in a tragic motorcycle accident on Route 5 in Hamburg. He was the loving son of Frederick Garrasi Jr. and Renee Garrasi as well as the dear brother of Ashley and Kelsey Garrasi. We wanted to reflect and cherish all the loving times we remember with him and show just how much of a life he packed into just 24 years.
Freddy was his father’s best helper and was well loved by all who knew him. We were always so proud of him and all his accomplishments. He was known for many positive things, but it was mainly his big heart, smile and sense of humor that we miss. Fred was a great person who always went out of his way to help friends and family. He was a proud Christian who was baptized, confirmed, and served as an acolyte at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church in Tonawanda for 5 years. He also attended Kingdom Bound Festival at Darien Lake with his church’s youth group for 10 years. By the age of 18 Freddy had sponsored two poor boys from “Compassion International,” a Christian sponsorship program. He also started boy scouts in the 1st grade, troop #528, and eventually earned his Eagle Scout at 18 which also made us very proud. In 5th grade, Freddy started playing the saxophone and joined chorus, which he did until he graduated. When he was 12 years old, in the 6th grade, he took 1st place in a chess tournament in Buffalo, NY. He also enjoyed many sports playing throughout school, and earned varsity letters in soccer, (which he started at the age of 5), high school track and field, swimming and diving. When Fred turned 16 he was a life guard for the Town of Evans for 5 years & eventually became a Captain as well. After he graduated from Lake Shore Senior High School at age 18, he worked for Claddagh Commission, which provides care support & services for people with developmental disabilities.
Fred’s first year in college he was on the track and field team at ECC and went to Nationals to take 6th place for the men’s decathlon. He then graduated with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and Science in January 2010. Later, he was accepted into the Erie County Police Academy, paying his own way so he could apply for a job in law enforcement. He first started working as a security guard at Erie Community College, which he loved. He also worked at the same time as an undercover security officer for Top’s Friendly Markets, and worked as a dispatcher for the Eden Police department. Freddy was sworn into the Town of Evans Police Department for part-time work on January 2nd, 2012. On February 6th, 2013 he was hired as a full-time Police officer. His dream finally came true, thanks to all of his discipline and hard work.
Freddy’s family & friends established the Frederick Garrasi III Memorial Fund in Freddy’s memory, with the goal of providing two annual $1000 scholarships to graduating seniors at Lake Shore High School.
The Patrolman Award is given to a young man or young woman who also exhibits compassion, kindness and community involvement, and in addition is a college-bound student who will pursue a career in law enforcement.
The Compassionate Mentor Award is given to a young man or young woman who exhibits the qualities of compassion, kindness, and community involvement that Freddy demonstrated to us all. It is awarded to a college-bound student who actively works to be a good friend and neighbor to our community.
The proceeds raised from the Frederick Garrasi III Memorial 5K Event are used toward funding these scholarships along with the following organizations: Compassion International Inc., Hogs & Heroes Foundation, A.B.A.T.E. Foundation, Cradle Beach Camp, Boys & Girls Club of Lakeshore, The Lakeshore Senior High Band,
Connect Life (Unyts), Evans Playground Committee, Patriot Guard Riders & St. Bartholomew’s Youth Group.