The Marisa Tufaro Classic, a scholastic bowling tournament contested at the start of the season, was a resounding success.
In addition to collecting hundreds of toys for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation to donate to pediatric patients at Hackensack Meridian Health JFK University Medical Center, the event held last December at Majestic Lanes in Hopelawn also served as a fundraiser for the nonprofit.
Woodbridge High School coach Amanda Small, who serves as the tournament director, joined Principal Scott Osborne, Vice Principal Tamiko Gourdine-Broadway, Athletics Director Joe Ward and members of the Barrons’ bowling program to present a $2,030 check from the event to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s leadership on Wednesday.
The wildly successful event, which Small founded and has run for three years with support from her high school and school district, has generated more than $8,000 over a thousand toys for pediatric patients.
“We’ve been blessed beyond words with amazing support from Woodbridge High School and the entire bowling community,” said Cyndi Tufaro, the foundation’s executive director. “The impact the student-athletes and their coaches have collectively made is profound. We are eternally grateful to Coach Small for the time and energy she invests to ensure this event is a success. She and everyone involved should be immensely proud of what they have accomplished.”
The tournament, which kicked off the scholastic season on Dec. 2 for nearly 30 participating schools, foreshadowed success for boys champion Saint Joseph and girls champion Howell. After winning the Marisa Tufaro Classic, both teams went on to capture state titles and finish with undefeated campaigns.
Competing in the Marisa Tufaro Classic holds special meaning for Howell coach Bob Wetzel, whose Rebels participated in the inaugural event in 2018 with a bowler on the team who was thriving after undergoing a successful heart transplant.
“We once had a girl that had (a cardiac defect) like Marisa,” Wetzel explained. “Thank God she made it through and everything is great. But this means a lot to me, as well, because the work (the foundation) does is necessary and I see firsthand the medical benefits and everything, so this is a great tournament.”
Saint Joseph coach Rusty Thomsen echoed Wetzel’s sentiment, saying the tournament “was the perfect way to start the season.”
“What we do to help the foundation is the best part of it,” Thomsen said. “We look forward to it. Everyone was pumped to bring toys. I said nobody is allowed to be in a bad mood today. This is for a good cause and that was their attitude.”
Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa Tufaro lived with a medical condition that restricted her from some physical activity, but never prevented her from bowling.
Marisa, who died in 2017 at the age of 13 from a rare form of cancer following six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant, enjoyed her time at Stelton Lanes in Piscataway and at Milford Lanes in Delaware during family vacations.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and attending hundreds of doctors appointments, Marisa was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities.
She is the inspiration behind the Marisa Tufaro Classic, which is conducted in a best-of-three team game format followed by baker format best-of-five competition for the top four teams in each division to determine the champion.
Awards for boys and girls were presented to the team champions and runners-up in each division, as well as to the three bowlers with the highest individual game and the three bowlers who roll the highest series in each division. Jim Gano of Crown Trophy in Flemington generously donated all the awards.
A Woodbridge High School alumna who was a member of her alma mater’s 2007 Tournament of Champions winning team, Small was also a Home News Tribune Bowler of the Year.
“Amanda wanted to offer another option for a holiday tournament to kick off the year, and she came up with the idea to host one in Woodbridge Township to benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation,” Ward said.
“We were 100 percent on board when she brought the idea to us. Amanda is hard-working and dedicated to the sport of bowling. She’s always looking to assist the school and the community in any way she can, and I think this is a great example of that.”
Established in its namesake’s loving memory in 2017, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated nearly $350,000 to fulfill its mission of assisting pediatric patients and other children in need.
The nonprofit has also spearheaded multiple initiatives resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies, school supplies, and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.
In addition, the foundation has awarded 42 college academic scholarships totaling $29,500 in Marisa’s name to high school seniors and an additional 20 scholarships for elementary and middle school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation is eternally grateful for the support it has received from Woodbridge High School, which has also hosted the Marisa Rose Bowl, the Greater Middlesex Conference All-Star basketball doubleheader, the Tecmo Bowl for Tufaro, and a Pictures with Santa event as fundraisers.
In addition, the school community has donated money raised from a dress down day and the entire gate from three of its football team’s home openers to the nonprofit. Countless student-athletes from multiple sports have participated in other fundraising events and drives that benefited The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
“Our nonprofit doesn’t take a second donated or a penny raised for granted,” Cyndi Tufaro said. “The kindness and generosity of the entire Woodbridge school community has been extraordinary.
“We hope their benevolence is exponentially returned.”