Sept/Oct 2013 - Inside Chappaqua

Tragedy struck on July 18th,
2011, when 19-year-old Evan
Lieberman, a beloved brother,
son and friend, passed away
after fighting for his life and undergoing
several serious surgeries
after a horrible car accident.
Evan’s family has created many
events in his honor to raise
money to rebuild the waiting
room of the Maria Fareri Trauma
Center in the Westchester
Medical Center, among other
things, and to raise awareness
and provide a form of support
for other families.
Moving Past Tragedy
Evan Lieberman’s Legacy
By Alyssa Ashley
The biggest event is the
annual Evan Lieberman Westchester
Medical Center Trauma Run.
The event is a fifteen-obstacle course
spanning three miles of the Medical
Center’s Valhalla Campus; the course
is designed for people of all ages and
athletic abilities, and challenges participants
to run through the woods,
scramble through mud, and navigate
through different obstacles.
(L-R): Alyssa Lentini, Rachel Lieberman and
Alyssa Ashley
Evan’s sisters Rachel (left) and Jamie at an Evan’s Team “Trauma Run”
Completing the event is rewarding
and satisfying, and leaves participants
proud to have gone through numerous
complicated obstacles in support of a
great cause.
Other events created in Evan’s name
include the Poker Tournament and
Dodgeball Event. What makes the
Dodgeball Event so special is that it is
not only an opportunity to raise money
for an important cause and spend
time with friends, but dodgeball was a
favorite pastime of Evan’s, and so the
event is very close to his family’s and
friends’ hearts.
In his senior year at Horace Greeley
High School, Evan won the dodgeball
tournament and enjoyed going to
play the game with friends during his
free time. The last Dodgeball Event
raised an astonishing $25,000 for
the hospital and to help raise awareness
and support others struggling
through tragedy. These events are ways
to carry on Evan’s legacy and help
other families going through
similar situations, by raising
money and spreading
knowledge about situations
such as Evan’s. The desire to
reconstruct the waiting room
of the Maria Fareri Trauma
Center arose because it is not
a comfortable environment
and is not one of the nicest
places to spend anxious hours
awaiting life-changing news.
The Lieberman family
has raised $200,000 that
has gone directly to the
reconstruction of the waiting
room, which has been
described as a “very small
place that adds even more stress to
families.” Rebuilding it will add a level
of comfort and relief to anxious families
during times of unexpected and
heartbreaking disaster.
Evan was a very personable and
fun-loving young man. A big fan of all
kinds of movies and an ESPN junkie,
he was always looking for a laugh and
fun things to do with his friends. His
family, friends, and the entire Chappaqua
community will always remember
his strength and legacy, as everyone
continues to participate in these
numerous events and help in any way
possible. To learn more about different
ways to get involved, please visit
www.evansteamny.com.
Alyssa Ashley is a senior
at Horace Greeley High
School. Growing up, her
favorite book was Are You
There God? It’s Me,
Margaret.
10 Inside Chappaqua September/October 2013