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5th Annual

Dan Finn Scholarship Birthday Party


            Where:   The JFK Hall at the Irish American Club

                       95 Kearny Avenue, Kearny, N.J.

         When:    Friday, October 17th

         Time:      9:00PM to 1:00AM
     Cost: $20 Donation to Dan Finn Scholarship at St. Peter's Details: No "all you can drink" special this year.
The Club offers discounted prices on beer and booze.


            The site is changing, to a more convenient Kearny location, and the cost structure is changing, to basically a $20.00 cover which goes to the Scholarship Fund and a buy your own at discounted prices, but the significance will always remain the same, " honoring a dear, fallen friend on his birthday."

            What also has changed is the entertainment. Seanchai, the "Irish rebel hip hop band" famous for their performances through the years at Rocky Sullivan's in NYC and Dan's all time favorite (The back of the Mass Card at Dan's wake and funeral were lyrics from Seanchai's song "Neon Beacon") will be crossing the Hudson to put on the "show of shows" for us live at the Club. The Unity Squad will also be performing. BTW, Chris and Rachel & Co. have moved the Seanchai show with Rocky Sullivan's to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.

            Mark the calendar and come help us celebrate Dan's 28th birthday. Spread the word to your friends. All are welcome!!! If there are any questions, contact Michael Mara at 201-424-7184 or email at michaelsmara@gmail.com.


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The selection process is now complete as the Iron Mikes from Trenton Catholic Academy has accepted the last invitation to participate in Dan Finn Classic - 2009 and will clash with the Cougars of Paterson Catholic in the 4:30PM matchup. That makes 9 out of the 10 teams participating will begin the season with top 20 State rankings and it is our bet that by tipoff on the 17th all 10 will have that distinction.

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One of the more memorable games in the short history of the Dan Finn Classic was three years ago when "whirling dervish" Desmond Wade put his Linden Tigers on his back and almost pulled off an upset over then national #1 St. Benedict's. The two state powers will square off again this year at 6:15PM when 6' 9" David Bruce, the player of the game two years ago, leads Linden against the nationally ranked Grey Bees. Tamir Jackson and Tristan Thompson again lead St. Benedict into the Jersey City Armory along with another 7 or 8 Division I players. St. Benedict will be making their 4th appearance and Linden will be returning for a third time after a year off last year.

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Plainfield High School, a sure shot pre-season top 5 or 6 team in the State, has accepted their second invitation to be part of the Dan Finn Classic and will play St. Anthony, pre-season National #1 in many publications, in the 8:00PM prime time game. St. Anthony will be making their 4th appearance. Plainfield will field arguably the best back court in New Jersey with senior Anthony Baskerville, and juniors Tyrone Johnson and Isaiah Epps. St. Anthony, after graduating 7 Division I players, will bring 6' 6" shooting guard Dominic Cheek, a top 10 national player and recent member of the US National team that competed in Argentina, along with a front line that goes 6'7"/6'8" across the board.

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The recipient of the Dan Finn '99 St. Peter's Prep Memorial Scholarship for the Prep Class of 2012 is Jared Clayton from PS #27 School in Jersey City. The scholarship provides for $1,000.00 per year for each of four years that Jared maintains current standards at Prep.

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Rich Zadroga, Prep class of '08 and the second graduating Dan Finn '99 St. Peter's Prep Memorial Scholarship recipient, will be continuing his college education at The College of New Jersey. Dave Finn, Prep '07, will be entering his sophmore year at Georgetown after completeing a very successful freshman campaign. 

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April Johnson, manager of the Malcolm X. Shabazz girls basketball team, will use a participant tuition assistance grant to further her education at Newark Rutgers. Congratulations, April, and good luck in college!!!

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June 25, 2008 was the date of graduation from the Jersey City elementary public schools. Twelve students from 11 different schools literally simultainiously received tuition assistance grants from the Dan Finn Classic. Some of the students, selected by the respective guidance offices at each school, are Kyung Jin Ming from PS #11 who will be attending Hudson Catholic in the fall; Jahod Henderson from PS #4 will be going to St. Anthony; Luis Lebron (PS #7) will also be continuing his education at Hudson Catholic; Jonathan Hogan and Furukh Khan will cross Grand Street from PS #16 to become students at St. Peter's Prep; Maheen Javaid from Academy I will join the class of 2012 at St. Dominic Academy; PS #28 graduate, Alexander Richardson, will go to St. Peter's Prep; Jennifer Carrie from PS #17 will join Maheen at St. Dom's; Cassandra Houghton will leave Liberty Charter School to enter St. Anthony High School. Additionally, Deandre Jamil Nobil will be attending Paterson Catholic HS after successful graduarion from Alexander Hamilton Academy.

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The opening game of the DFC at 12:00Noon on January 17, 2009 will pit the Prepsters from Seton Hall against the Prepsters from St. Peter's. SHP will again be ranked in the State top 20 and challenge a young SPP team that was able to come from the 8 seed to win the HCIAA Coviello championship last year.

The matchups for the girl's game for the Dan Finn Classic 2009 at 1:30PM appears to be set as Malcolm X. Shabazz, the team of the decade and more, has agreed to return to face a game Colt's Neck squad who will be bringing a young, yet already experienced, quintet of "to be" juniors. It is already being tabbed as New Jersey girls basketball, NORTH vs. SOUTH.

June 26, 2007 was a big date for the DFC as no less than 10 scholarships were presented to elementary students throughout the Jersey City Public School district at their graduation ceremonies. Selections were made by guidance departments of each respective school. Javier Osorio from PS #40 will attend St. Mary's High School, Brandon Casasnovas from PS #28 will be going to Hudson Catholic, Marjorie Martinez from PS #11 will be at Marist, Evan Colon from PS #16 will attend St. Peter's Prep, Janine Joseph and Irwin Milanes from PS #17 will both be going to St. Mary's, Ian Garner from Academy I will go to St. Peter's Prep, Meaghan Hart from PS #4 will attend St. Anthony, and Chayanne Rivera will continue his studies at St. Mary's (see story below).
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The Dan Finn '99 St. Peter's Prep Memorial Scholarship was presented to Derek Gotay from PS #16.

In a rather touching letter received by the DFC, Tom Lalicato, head basketball coach and administrator at St. Mary's HS in Jersey City, wrote: "The boy who received the Dan Finn Scholarship Award to attend St. Mary's last year, Chayanne Rivera, finished #1 in the freshman class. He also was recognized for his position paper in a model U. N. Debate at St. Peter's College. You picked a most deserving young man."
 
Because of existing circumstances and because of his academic achievement, Chayanne was awarded a
continuing DFC scholarship. Thanks Chayanne for making us look good.
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