Charity soccer festival’s goal to help pediatric cancer patients, children in need, food insecure families
Nearly two dozen Greater Middlesex Conference high school girls soccer teams are uniting to help pediatric cancer patients and other children in need through their participation in a fundraising event benefiting two New Jersey-based nonprofits.
In addition, the more than 400 players and coaches involved in the 2023 Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival will also be collecting nonperishable food items for REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents.
The third annual showcase will be held Sept. 30 at Metuchen High School with 11 games between evenly matched teams being contested across multiple fields at staggered start times.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and Go4theGoal are the charity festival’s beneficiaries.
Since its inception six years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to assist pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
Go4theGoal’s mission is to improve the lives of children battling cancer nationwide by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes.
The event fittingly occurs in September, which is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and National Hunger Awareness Month.
In the weeks leading up to the showcase, the 22 participating teams will engage in a friendly competition off the field to raise money for the two charities.
North Brunswick, East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Monroe, Piscataway, South Brunswick, J.P. Stevens, Edison, Carteret, St. Thomas Aquinas, and South River will raise money for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
The top fundraising team will be publicly recognized during a special awards presentation on the day of the festival.
Marisa Tufaro survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing to a rare form of cancer (post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder) in 2017 following a valiant battle. She was just 13 years old.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, Marisa was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.
The nonprofit established in Marisa’s loving memory, which also makes community service an integral part of its mission, has spearheaded multiple initiatives, resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.
The foundation has also awarded $29,500 in college academic scholarships to 42 high school graduates, and an additional 20 scholarships for middle school and elementary school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.