Second annual Old Bridge and South Plainfield wrestling Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual another amazing success

The Old Bridge and South Plainfield high school wrestling programs honored the life of Marisa Tufaro and, for the second consecutive year, combined to raise $4,000 for the tax-exempt nonprofit bearing her name.

The second annual Marisa Tufaro Memorial Dual Meet, contested two years ago to the day that Marisa Tufaro passed away at the age of 13, celebrated her inspirational life last Wednesday night at the Old Bridge High School gymnasium.

Marisa Tufaro, who would have been a sophomore this year at Edison High School, is the daughter of veteran Home News Tribune sports writer Greg Tufaro, who is a co-founder of the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association, and longtime Edison Township Public Schools Educator Cyndi Tufaro.

Born with a complex cardiac defect which required six open-heart surgeries, Marisa Tufaro developed two life-threatening conditions that necessitated a heart transplant. The transplant was supposed to extend her life, but tragically cut it short when a postoperative complication developed into a rare form of blood cancer to which she succumbed. Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, Marisa Tufaro lived a vibrant life.

Donations for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation were accepted at the door prior to the dual meet, and the Greater Middlesex Conference Wrestling Coaches Association also made a generous contribution to the fundraiser.

Established 18 months ago to benefit pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area, the foundation has already made a profound impact, donating more than $60,000 and spearheading multiple community initiatives, as well as awarding college scholarship dollars to exceptional high school students who advance the nonprofit’s mission.

Last year, two South Plainfield graduating seniors, including wrestler Joe Heilmann, were among the beneficiaries of the first annual Marisa Tufaro Greater Middlesex Conference Student-Athlete Scholarship.

South Plainfield and Old Bridge have played pivotal roles, along with countless other high school athletics programs across the conference, in supporting The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Eight months after Marisa passed away, Old Bridge hosted a wildly successful toy drive during a “Holiday Knight” themed football game that collected thousands of toys for donation to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, Saint Peter’s University Children’s Hospital and Children’s Specialized Hospital, all of New Brunswick.

Swimmers, bowlers, basketball players, baseball players and student-athletes in other sports from both schools have participated in league-wide fundraisers for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

For the second straight year, members of the South Plainfield and Old Bridge wrestling teams wore specially designed T-shirts in their respective school colors during last week’s dual meet to heighten awareness about the foundation. Proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts were also donated to the foundation.

“The GMC wrestling community goes to the mat for an angel” was 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 contained a circular logo on the left breast uniting the foundation with the conference.

An individual Outstanding Wrestler trophy, courtesy of Ron Mazzola and Prestige Imaging, was awarded to the top performer from each team at the conclusion of the dual meet. South Plainfield’s Divon Pender and Old Bridge’s Ryan Yuhas were this year’s recipients.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s leadership made a special presentation to the head coaches of both wrestling programs prior to the dual meet. Old Bridge Athletics Director Dan DiMino presented Cyndi Tufaro with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Administrators from both school districts, including South Plainfield Public Schools Superintendent Noreen Lishak, South Plainfield High School Principal Ronnie Spring and South Plainfield Athletics Director Kevin McCann, were in attendance, along with Old Bridge Public Schools Superintendent David Cittadino, Old Bridge Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Hoeker and many members of the Old Bridge Township Public Schools Board of Education.

Cittadino, who bet Lishak that the superintendent whose school district lost the dual meet would have to kiss a pig, went out of his way to find a pig to bring to the match. After one pig who committed to be a part of the event was unable to leave his pen due to frigid temperatures, Cittadino attempted to line up two others, but to no avail. He then drove to a farm in a neighboring township on the day of the event, but could not fit the tusked bore in his car.

Cittadino wound up videotaping his kiss with the pig and, immediately after the dual meet, which Old Bridge lost to nationally ranked South Plainfield, wrestlers from both teams gathered on the mat and spectators remained seated in the stands as a video of his interaction with the pig was splashed across a projector screen that was set up in the gymnasium.

Following are hot links to stories detailing some of the ways The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has assisted pediatric patients and other children in need.

• Partnered with the Middlesex County Association of School Administrators to offer financial relief to parents of children in medical crisis who lost wages while caring for their child at the hospital, who lack health insurance or whose provider won’t cover certain medical expenses.
• Partnered with Woodbridge High School and the Central Jersey bowling community to deliver hundreds of toys to pediatric patients at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where Marisa underwent a successful heart transplant.
• Donated to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital’s newly established extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program, a specialized cardiac and respiratory support system that saved Marisa’s life at another medical facility following her heart transplant (press release pending).
• Made a donation in honor of Piscataway’s Conackamack Middle School, which honored Marisa during its 27th annual Turkey Trot, to the township’s FISH Hospitality Program, which provides shelter, meals, clothing and other services to homeless families in Middlesex County.
• Paid forward the generosity Bishop Ahr High School has bestowed upon our foundation with a donation to the school-community’s 21st annual Ahr Star spaghetti dinner, whose beneficiaries included a 9-year-old boy from Middlesex County with multiple disabilities.
• Funded the purchase of uniforms (shirts and shorts) for campers at Kiddie Keep Well Camp, which serves more than 600 underserved Middlesex County children annually (press release pending).
• Partnered with Old Bridge and South Brunswick high schools to collect thousands of toys for pediatric patients at Saint Peter’s University Children’s Hospital and Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital.
• Partnered with the Kittim N. Sherrod Foundation to provide a youth football and cheerleading organization with a bilingual state-of-the art automated external defibrillator, as well as AED and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for adult members of the organization.
• Supported instruction and supplies for an art therapy program at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, to which our foundation also provided funds for infant mobiles and toy cars staff use to transport children to the operating room for surgery.
• Provided money for equipment and supplies for students with disabilities who utilize the Lakeview School’s newly constructed aquatics center.
• Conducted a boardwalk-themed Family Fun Night at Children’s Specialized Hospital, where the sights, sounds and smells of the Jersey Shore were brought to patients and their families through carnival games, food, prizes, music and more.
• Partnered with Teamwork Unlimited Foundation to provide medical alert bracelets to children with autism and pediatric patients with chronic illness who receive outstanding care from Children’s Specialized Hospital, which annually serves more than 34,000 children statewide.
• Partially funded the Make-A-Wish of a Middlesex County boy who is winning a battle with high-risk neuroblastoma to vacation with his family at Walt Disney World.
• Funded the purchase of brand new metal bunk beds and for campers at Kiddie Keep Well Camp, which serves more than 600 underserved Middlesex County children annually.
• Provided physical therapy at Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center and Project Walk for Middlesex County children whose families do not have health insurance or whose families’ health insurer does not cover the cost of the physical therapy.
• Partnered with Edison High School and the Chamberlain College of Nursing for two consecutive years to raise money and collect nonperishable food items to benefit Middlesex County children and their families through Hands of Hope via our foundation’s participation in the Race to Outrun Hunger.
• Provided new iPads and gaming system accessories (Xbox and PS4 games, controllers, chargers) for adolescent patients at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital.
• Assisted multiple families whose children are in medical crisis, providing financial support through the payment of medical and/or personal expenses.
• Provided summer art camp scholarships to Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum for Middlesex County elementary and middle school students.
• Rewarded high school students for their community service to children with scholarships.
• Provided meals and goods for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Central Jersey.
• Provided scholarships to Greater Middlesex Conference student-athletes whose academic performance reflects Marisa’s educational success and whose charitable endeavors align with our foundation’s mission.
• Partnered with Middlesex High School to conduct a coat drive for Middlesex County children.
• Provided gift cards for pediatric patients and their families.