Listen here for Renee's interview with Sergent William Chapman of the Newtown Police Department.
Newtown Police Department has challenged UConn Police Department to a hockey showdown - the Bender Classic.
Come out to show your support on Saturday, January 7 at UConn Storrs - Freitas Ice Forum. The two police departments will compete to show their hockey skills all while supporting Special Olympics Connecticut.
It all started in 2020 with two Dads who were getting their young kids involved in hockey and decided to lace up skates alongside them. School Resource Officer Will Chapman from the Newtown Police Department, and Athletic Director Matt Memoli from Newtown High School. They built rinks in their backyards and started to [attempt to] jump on the ice with their kids. The biggest hurdle was the fact that neither of them had ever skated before. Both are big fans of Special Olympics and Unified Sports, and have long admired the athletes who consistently live up to one of the hallmarks of the organization, being "Brave in the Attempt." Newtown/New Fairfield Nighthawk Hockey head coach Paul Esposito laid out a challenge to Chapman and Memoli: They should come to a High School hockey practice and face each other one-on-one. With only weeks to prepare and EXTREMELY limited skating ability, they had to kick the bravery up a notch and they invited the community to join them by using the event to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics. With generous participation from Hoser Hockey (a company founded by one of Esposito's former players) and Danbury Ice Arena, the "Bender Classic '' was born. The event was a huge success in its first year, raising over $5,000 for Special Olympics. Both competitors were able to...mostly...keep their feet under them, but Chapman outscored Memoli and became the event's inaugural Champion.
The following year Memoli was unable to participate due to an injury and was tasked with selecting his successor to compete against Chapman. In a dramatic move, Memoli selected Chapman's then-partner, School Resource Officer Matt Hayes. A social media hype campaign with all the pageantry of a WWE rivalry ensued before Chapman and Hayes faced off against each other in-between periods at a game between Newtown/New Fairfield, and Chapman's Alma Mater, E.O. Smith High School, coached by none other than Chapman's former high school guidance counselor, John Hodgson. It was a very close match, but Chapman was able to retain the Bender Classic trophy, and another $5,000 was raised.
Now here we are: In our third year, it was easily decided that the spirit and generosity that the E.O. Smith/Tolland players, parents, and staff brought had to be a permanent fixture in the event. E.O. Smith High School bought in fully, and agreed to host the 2023 Bender Classic on their home ice, the Mark Edward Frietas Ice Forum at the University of Connecticut. The UConn Police Department has stepped up to defend their house on behalf of E.O. Smith/Tolland, so now Chapman and Hayes will get the chance to be on the same team and defend their title together from a fierce team of Huskies. With the enthusiastic support of the Newtown, E.O. Smith, and UConn communities, we are on track to make this the best year yet. We have a fundraising goal of $20,000. The support grows, the stages get bigger, and the donations keep rolling in. There is no telling what the future holds for the Bender Classic, but we know that as long as we continue to be Brave in the Attempt, it will always be a success!
Sergent William Chapman and Officer Matt Hayes from Newtown PD
Officer William Funk and Officer Rene Rivera from UConn PD