Community Briefs: Film honoring outstanding Delco athlete Ken DeFeo headlines Foundry Film Fest

NETHER PROVIDENCE– “Together We Ken!,” a film honoring the life and legacy of the late Ken DeFeo, will be featured at the upcoming Delco Film Festival, 7-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, at The Foundry, 25 Cedar Road, Wallingford. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend the free-admission event which will feature a variety of 30-minute short films, along with a question and answer session to follow.  Dress is casual and light refreshments will be served.

Almost 25 years ago, All-Delco football player Ken DeFeo, Monsignor Bonner High School Class of 1978, died suddenly from a heart attack of natural causes at the age of 37. His friends from Monsignor Bonner High School immediately established a scholarship in DeFeo’s name to be given out to Bonner football players who exemplify his spirit and attitude in the mold of Jesus Christ on and off the field. Since 1998, scholarships have been awarded in Ken DeFeo’s name. A deserving young scholar athlete is given the Ken DeFeo Memorial Scholarship for financial assistance to further his/her education at Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast High School.

DeFeo was inducted into Monsignor Bonner High School Hall of Fame in 2006 and The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame’s Delaware County Chapter in 2009. He was the first recipient of Bonner High School’s John Cappelletti Award. DeFeo made numerous All League, All County, All State teams, as well as All Stars, and won numerous other awards in high school and college for his football playing ability. DeFeo was the captain of both his high school and college football teams as captain of the Monsignor Bonner Baseball Team. He was also a member of the MBHS Student Council and National Honor Society while in high school.

The short inspirational documentary film “Together We Ken!” was created by Mark Hercer of Hercer Content Creations to commemorate the 25th anniversary of giving in the name of Ken DeFeo and Jesus Christ to help others. The Foundry is the originator and host of Delaware County’s premier film festival that happens once a year in the fall and showcases independent films from around the world.

For more information or to be part of the Film Fest, email studio410@thefoundrychurch.org or visit https://thefoundrychurch.org.

Krueger, Kane host free shredding, drug take-back event

State Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-161 of Nether Providene and state Sen. John Kane, D-9 of Birmingham, will host a free shredding and drug take back event, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 16, at Northley Middle School, 2801 Concord Rd., Aston Township. Attendees should enter from Concord Road.

Residents can bring up to four boxes of paper to have it shredded on site. No electronics are accepted. The Delaware County Mobile Drug Collection Unit will be available to collect unneeded medications.
Anyone with questions should contact Krueger’s office at 610-534-6880.

Upper Darby Fire Police hold fall flea market

The Special Fire Police will hold a fall flea market at Upper Darby High School on Lansdowne Avenue, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17. The fire police protect first responders and the public at accidents and fires. They are First Responders themselves. For more information call 215-834-2157.

Doctor introduces new book about bullying during National Anti-Bullying Month

Nationally recognized anti-bullying expert and author, Dr. Claudio Cerullo of Aston launched his new book, “Inside the Mind of a Bully: From Victim to Advocate” this week to draw attention to National Anti-Bullying Month in October. Dr. Cerullo has been speaking to the educational and mental health professional communities, as well as the general public, on the subject of bullying for over 29 years. The new book explores how bullying affects school shootings, racial and ethnic profiling, academic achievement, along with mental health related issues and looking at Dr. Cerullo’s childhood as a bullied victim and how this trauma shaped the man he is today.

Readers can learn preventative and intervention methods that could help in protecting children and adults, whether in school, on the playing fields or in the workplace.

As a victim himself, Cerullo shares his expertise and experiences to document the ways to face bullying head on and become advocates for a problem that isn’t going away.

Cerullo has been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, and Fox News, and featured in The New York Times, The Washington Journal, LA Times, Newsweek, and on GMA. He brings over twenty-nine years of professional experience in the field of education. Cerullo, established teachantibullying.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2011 to serve children and families who have been or are being affected by bullying. For more details, visit http://www.drclaudiocerullo.com.

For more information on the book, visit http://www.lulu.com/inside-the-mind-of-a-bully.

Community invited to build bridges at Faith and Blue Weekend event

The community is invited to National Faith and Blue Weekend, 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8 at Second Baptist Church, 400 E. State St., Media. Everyone is invited to join local law enforcement and members of the community for a Peace, Justice, and Unity March to Media Courthouse and a weekend of resolution and reconciliation. National Faith and Blue Weekend is a collaborative effort to build bridges and break biases. The event is sponsored by the Second Baptist Church and the Media Police Department.

Learn more at http://www.faithandblue.org.

Wallingford Presbyterian presents concert series

Wallingford Presbyterian Church, 110 E. Brookhaven Road, Wallingford, will celebrate music and making a difference in the community through Concerts for a Cause. The series will begin 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, with classical guitarist Yovianna Garcia.

A native of Puerto Rico, Garcia speaks through her performances of world music. Born into a family of musicians, she completed her Bachelor’s Degree at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and Master’s Degree at The Hartt School, University of Hartford. Garcia has taught classical guitar and performed as a soloist and with Taiwanese percussionist Sayun Chang in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Taiwan and throughout the United States.

The program will include works by Bach, Thomas Schuttenhelm, and the guitarist, with the world premiere of Guakía Baba, based on the Taíno “Our Father” prayer.

The suggested donation is $15 and each concert will benefit a different local cause. The first mission recipient is Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (www.apmphila.org), a Latino-based health, human services, community and economic development non-profit organization serving the Philadelphia area.
Future performances will feature a Messiah sing with professional soloists and community choirs in December; women vocalists and instrumentalists presenting works composed by women in March for Women’s History Month; and spirituals with special guest soloists and community choirs in May.
For more information, visit http://www.wallingfordpres.org or the church Facebook page.

Readers can email community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com.