The name of former East Brunswick High School Athletics Director Frank Noppenberger, who currently serves as executive director of the Greater Middlesex Conference, will fittingly grace the Marisa Rose Bowl Spirit of the Game Award.
The award will be presented to the football player or cheerleader who is the top fundraiser for the charity all-star football game, which will be contested at North Brunswick High School on July 21 at 7 p.m.
All proceeds from the event benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, whose mission is to assist pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
Noppenberger epitomizes the Spirit of the Game Award with his selflessness, giving nature and willingness to help others. He is a staunch supporter of high school athletics with an emphasis on sportsmanship and character who always promotes student-athletes in the most positive light.
The Frank Noppenberger Spirit of the Game Award will be bestowed upon the recipient during a pregame banquet at the Pines Manor in Edison.
Those unfamiliar with Noppenberger should take the time to read this USA TODAY High School sports article or this definitive Star Ledger piece, both of which were penned at the time of his retirement as East Brunswick’s longtime supervisor of athletics and physical education. Simply put, he is among the most respected individuals involved in New Jersey scholastic sports.
Noppenberger, who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, has made a tremendous impact on the nonprofit, serving as a conduit between it and the Greater Middlesex Conference, which has been the foundation’s single biggest supporter.
Since its inception less than five years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated a quarter of a million dollars to fulfill its mission.
The nonprofit has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $26,500 in academic scholarships to 38 high school graduates and an additional 13 scholarships for middle school and elementary school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.
Marisa Rose Tufaro survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing to a rare form of cancer in 2017 following a valiant battle.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, she lived a vibrant life that inspired.