The Marisa Tufaro Foundation would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the entire Greater Middlesex Conference basketball community for supporting our nonprofit through the coaches association’s recent fundraiser.
In lieu of admission to last week’s pod tournament games, GMC Basketball Coaches Association President Jose Rodriguez respectfully asked attendees and those following the action from home to consider making a nominal donation to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
Fans, players and coaches across the league embraced the concept, which members of the media, including NJ.com sportswriter Mike Kinney and Central Jersey Sports Radio broadcaster Mike Pavlichko, helped promote.
Many leaguewide, including numerous coaches and players, such as senior guard Erin Cosio of East Brunswick, took to social media to heighten awareness about the fundraiser.
“The support from the GMC, and by extension all its student-athletes, is a confirmation of the positive effect sports have on young people,” said Senator Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., whose legislative district includes seven Middlesex County towns and who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees.
“Thanks to the GMC for this innovative way to enable the foundation to meet its mission and help kids in innumerable ways.”
The GMC basketball tournament seeding committee, which athletics directors Carl Buffalino of South River and Mike Del Aversano of Spotswood chair, in concert with GMC Executive Director Frank Noppenberger, named one of the league’s postseason pods after our nonprofit.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation pod featured girls basketball teams from John F. Kennedy, Old Bridge, East Brunswick and top-seeded Edison.
Prior to their semifinal meeting, players from Old Bridge and Edison wore T-shirts during pre-game warmups in their respective school colors with the words “We Play For MARISA” inscribed on the back.
The touching tribute, which took place at Edison High School, where Marisa would have been a senior this year, was the idea of Old Bridge head coach Alec Alspach and Edison head coach Frank Eckert.
Following his team’s 48-46 victory over East Brunswick in The Marisa Tufaro Foundation final, Eckert captured the quintessence of the pandemic-impacted season and shed light on what playing in the pod meant for his program.
“We are just very grateful for the opportunity,” Eckert told Home News Tribune sportswriter Andy Mendlowitz. “It’s hard playing in this pandemic. I had players that had to miss games for certain things.
“You’re playing in a shortened season and you just try to make the best of it, but they never broke. We lost a few games in the middle, but they stayed strong, and as you could see from these last two games within this pod tournament, they played hard and they definitely earned it. I’m really proud of the team.
“Playing in The Marisa Tufaro Foundation pod tournament – we just felt very inspired by that, too. Marisa would have been a senior this year at Edison High School, so to be in this pod was awesome. Part of our motivation and inspiration was playing for her at the same time, too.”
Marisa was born with a complex cardiac defect that required six open-heart surgeries. Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, she lived a vibrant life that inspired. After her sixth surgery, Marisa developed two life-threatening conditions that necessitated a heart transplant. A postoperative complication developed into a rare form of cancer to which she succumbed following a valiant battle on Jan. 30, 2017. She was just 13 years old.
The GMC Basketball Coaches Association has been among The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s biggest fundraisers, donating gate receipts totaling nearly $8,000 from its 2017, 2018 and 2019 senior all-star doubleheaders to the nonprofit.
“We are just trying to emphasize how important it is for us to be involved in our communities,” said Rodriguez, the head boys basketball coach at Colonia, who annually integrates charitable service into his own program.
“With how exciting the GMC postseason is, this spun into realizing that we have a good opportunity in teaching our student-athletes, and even our local communities, that we have an obligation to do good things for people.
“We’re trying as a coaches association to teach our student-athletes to be leaders and utilize that platform for something positive.”
Since its inception in July 2017, our nonprofit has donated nearly $200,000 to assist pediatric patients and other children in need.
In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded 25 college academic scholarships totaling $17,000 to high school seniors.
Our nonprofit has also spearheaded multiple community initiatives, resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies and other items for donation upon which we have placed no monetary value.
Coaches and players from several GMC programs have participated in some of those community service projects.
Eckert, for example, has volunteered as a disc jockey at our nonprofit’s annual boardwalk-themed Family Fun Night, conducted at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, and has had his players team with those from crosstown rival J.P. Stevens to collect baby care items for donation to the Ozanam Family Shelter.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation would like to congratulate the GMC’s players, coaches, team managers, statisticians and athletics directors on a wonderful season.
All overcame adversity while navigating a pandemic to make their respective school-communities proud. We wish all continued success in their future endeavors.
Marisa’s parents are grateful beyond words for every penny and every second of time that has been donated to the nonprofit bearing their daughter’s name.
Blessed with incredible support, Cyndi, a longtime Edison Township Public Schools educator, and Greg, a sportswriter with the Home News Tribune, will never find the right way to express their appreciation.
They can only hope the foundation’s actions speak louder than words.