Powerlifters unite to honor fallen officer Amy Caprio, support local animal shelter
BALTIMORE -- The third annual Amy Caprio Classic powerlifting competition was held in Rosedale on Saturday. The event at Exile Fitness remembers the life of fallen Baltimore County Police Officer Amy Caprio and raises money for BARCS.
Officer Caprio was investigating an alleged robbery in 2018 when she was struck and killed by a suspect driving a stolen vehicle.
Her fellow officers, including competition organizer Joshua Phipps, remember Caprio as a kind person who loved animals. This is why the event benefits the local animal shelter.
"I've noticed in my 18 years of law enforcement, when an officer is killing line of duty, it tends to kind of go on the wayside. I don't want that to happen anymore," Phipps said. "It feels amazing to know that all the money is getting donated in her memory on behalf of Exile Fitness to the animal shelter that needs as much help as they can get."
Phipps is an avid powerlifter, saying it helps him decompress from the stress of his job as a patrol officer. Previously, he attended a similar event in Howard County that remembered a fallen officer there and was inspired to host his own event in Baltimore County.
BARCS is an open-admission shelter, meaning it takes every animal that is brought there. This can present several challenges when it comes to capacity and funding. The shelter was recently at capacity in August and said it relies on donations from the community to balance the budget.
"We feel very honored that they chose us," Jen Brause, founder of BARCS, said. "Having events and awareness about what we're going through day in and day out and the needs of those animals is very important. It helps us to get them adopted, helps us get them into foster homes, and then funding from events like this also provides the care that those animals need."
The competitors ages range from 12 through 80 and they participate in the bench press and deadlift. The competition, though, comes second, falling behind the cause it supports and the person it honors.
"It's still competition, but at the end of the day, we're all here for the same thing, and it's going to be a lot of fun," Mike Filleti, a participant at the event, said.
Phipps says he appreciates the continued support from the community. In its first two years, the event raised $17,500 combined for BARCS. This year, he expects to shatter that, and hopes it can be bigger and better in 2025.
To donate or learn more about the event, click here.