Following the lead of South Plainfield High School, which is hosting a charity match, members of the Greater Middlesex Conference wrestling community are rallying to support The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
The perennial state power Tigers, who have a history of helping others in the community, will donate the entire gate from their Jan. 31 dual meet against Old Bridge and money from a 50-50 raffle to the foundation.
In the coming days, hundreds of wrestlers and coaches throughout the league will wear specially designed T-shirts in their respective school colors to heighten awareness about the foundation, whose mission is to help children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area. Proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts will benefit the tax-exempt nonprofit.
“The GMC wrestling community goes to the mat for an angel” is inscribed on the back of the shirt in capital letters under the image of two wrestlers flanked by angel wings and positioned beneath a halo. The front of the shirt bears a circular logo on the left breast uniting the foundation with the conference.
“This is a great group of guys that understand sacrifice, so to see them stepping up like this is not a surprise to me,” said Frank Noppenberger, executive director of the conference who also serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees. “In my experience of being an athletics director, wrestlers are a very unique bunch. They always take care of one another, be it their team or an opponent. It’s a very neat fraternity because wrestlers will remain friends with each other for the rest of their lives. What they are doing to honor Marisa and support the foundation is outstanding.”
Since its inception less than six months ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has already made a profound impact, assisting pediatric patients and children in need at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, Saint Peter’s University Children’s Hospital, Hands of Hope, Kiddie Keep Well Camp, the Lakeview School, Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center, the Ronald McDonald House of Central Jersey and elsewhere. The foundation, which serves as Marisa’s legacy, is scheduled to announce two new initiatives in the coming weeks.
Marisa’s father, Greg, a longtime sports reporter for the Home News Tribune and member of the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association, and mother, Cyndi, a longtime Middlesex County educator, established the foundation to keep alive Marisa’s spirit and honor her memory.
Marisa died last Jan. 30 after complications from a heart transplant developed into a rare form of stage IV cancer, to which she succumbed following a valiant fight. Marisa was born with a complex cardiac defect that required six open-heart surgeries. Despite keeping hundreds of doctor’s appointments and being hospitalized for more than two years, Marisa lived a vibrant life that inspired.
State Sen. Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., a South Plainfield graduate and member of the high school’s Hall of Fame who also serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, will attend the Tigers’ Jan. 31 dual meet against Old Bridge.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s leadership will make a special presentation to both teams at the conclusion of the event. An individual Most Valuable Wrestler trophy, which Prestige Imaging of Old Bridge has donated, will also be awarded to the top performer from each school.
Noppenberger praised South Plainfield for turning its Jan. 31 dual meet into a benefit for the foundation, stating that the Tigers have long been winners on and off the mat.
“South Plainfield has always been a caring community,” he said. “That’s why they and their wrestling program are well-respected throughout the state and the country.”
South Plainfield has been ranked nationally six times – peaking at No. 13 in the country during the 2012-13 campaign – and is currently ranked among the Top 20 programs in the state for the 22nd consecutive year. The two-time defending state champion Tigers are among New Jersey’s most successful programs. Their resume includes a state-record 33 consecutive district championships, 28 Red Division titles, 24 conference tournament crowns, 14 sectional titles and 10 state championships. Eleven South Plainfield wrestlers have claimed state titles, 22 have won more than 100 matches and more than two dozen graduates went on to compete in college.
Over the last decade, the South Plainfield wrestling program has helped other causes. The Tigers hosted a fundraising dual meet against Bergen Catholic for prostate cancer awareness and took part in another fundraising dual meet at Rutgers University against Monroe to assist former Rutgers Prep wrestler Brett Epps in his battle with a life-threatening illness. Additionally, South Plainfield paid tribute to former teammate Sarmad Rizvi, wearing specially designed armbands and T-shirts in honor of the grappler, who passed away four years ago.
Volunteers from The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, including Cyndi and Greg Tufaro, will be in attendance at South Plainfield’s Jan. 31 dual meet against Old Bridge to distribute “thank you” letters and free foundation wristbands to spectators.