Twenty 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 2022 Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival will also be collecting nonperishable food items for REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents.

The second annual showcase will be held Saturday (Sept. 24) at Metuchen High School with 10 games between evenly matched teams being contested across multiple fields at staggered times starting at 9 a.m.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and Go4theGoal are once again the charity festival’s beneficiaries.

Last year’s inaugural event featured 14 participating teams and raised a total of nearly $17,000 for the two nonprofits while also generating 1,500 pounds of food for REPLENISH.

Since its inception five years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated a quarter of a million dollars 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 Hunger Awareness Month and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Following is the game schedule:

J.F. Kennedy vs. J.P. Stevens, turf field, 9 a.m.

Carteret vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, varsity field, 9 a.m.

Middlesex vs. New Brunswick, JV field, 9 a.m.

Piscataway vs. Colonia, turf field, noon

South Brunswick vs. Spotswood, varsity field, noon

North Brunswick vs. Sayreville, JV field, noon

Edison vs. South Plainfield, front field, noon

Wardlaw-Hartridge vs. Old Bridge, turf field, 2 p.m.

Metuchen vs. Monroe, varsity field, 2 p.m.

Woodbridge vs. East Brunswick, JV field, 2 p.m.

‘WE ARE ALL PROUD OF YOU’

The objective of the charity festival is to create a competitive environment and develop friendly rivalries among participating teams while emphasizing good sportsmanship, positive communication, mutual respect, and giving back to the community through a collaborative effort.

State Senator Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., whose legislative district encompasses seven Middlesex County towns, six of which will be represented in this year’s festival, praised the student-athletes and their coaches for participating in the event.

“I want to congratulate the 22 girls high school soccer teams,” said Diegnan, who also serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“I’ve always said that sports celebrate what’s good in young people, and you are proving that by participating in the fundraiser and the food drive. Keep up the good work. We are all proud of you.”

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

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 Perth Amboy will raise money for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Metuchen, Colonia, Woodbridge, Sayreville, New Brunswick, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, J.F. Kennedy, Spotswood, Wardlaw-Hartridge and Middlesex will raise money for Go4theGoal.

The top fundraising teams for each charity will be publicly recognized during a special awards presentation on the day of the festival.

The late Ron Mazzola of Prestige Imaging in Old Bridge donated the plaque upon which the names of the top fundraising schools will be engraved. Colonia and Carteret were last year’s top fundraisers.

“It will be a great day watching teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference play against each other in competitive games,” said North Brunswick High School head coach Megan Carroll, one of the event’s organizers.

“The festival’s goal is to raise donations for various charities in the Middlesex County area. This charity work brings teams together and exemplifies giving back to one’s community. I look forward to a day of competition, giving back and comradery.”

FIGHTING PEDIATRIC CANCER

New Jersey residents Dr. Richard Stefanacci and his wife, Beth, founded Go4theGoal in 2006, soon after their oldest child was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Go4theGoal’s Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer fundraising initiative was created in 2011 in response to New Jersey youth soccer teams that wanted to help make a difference, and now gives sports teams across the country an opportunity to raise awareness and much-needed support.  All funds stay in the state they are raised to help local children battling cancer.

“On behalf of Go4theGoal, we are incredibly honored to be one of two beneficiaries for the Greater Middlesex Conference Charity Festival,” said Beth Stefanacci, Go4theGoal’s executive director.

“We have had the privilege of partnering with a number of girls soccer teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference through our Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer initiative over the past several years. We are truly grateful to all of the coaches for including us. It is only because of the efforts of teams like these that we are able to make a difference in the lives of kids battling cancer and their families in New Jersey.”

According to the American Cancer Society, this year about 10,500 children ages 1 to 14 in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer. Cancer will claim the lives of about 1,050 children under the age of 15 nationwide in 2022. Cancer is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death in children 14 and younger.

Childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades, but with major advances in treatment, 85% of children with cancer now survive five years or more, a significant increase from the mid-1970s when the five-year survival rate was less than 60% (survival rates vary greatly depending on myriad factors including the type of cancer with which a child is diagnosed).

Since 2007, Go4theGoal has funded more than $1 million in pediatric cancer research and works with nearly 200 hospitals across the country to provide assistance to patients and families.

Go4theGoal has annually been rated since 2011 as a top nonprofit by GreatNonprofits.com and has a Platinum Seal of Approval from Guidestar.

HELPING CHILDREN IN NEED

Marisa Tufaro, who would have graduated last year from Edison High School, 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 honor roll student involved in multiple extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.

In addition to donating a quarter of a million dollars to fulfill its mission, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation 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 it has placed no monetary value.

The foundation has also awarded $26,500 in college academic scholarships to 38 Middlesex County high school graduates, and an additional 13 scholarships for Middlesex County middle school and elementary school students to attend a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has benefited from dozens of fundraisers, ranging in size from individual events at Greater Middlesex Conference schools to conference-wide all-star games and tournaments featuring student-athletes from the entire league.

“The Greater Middlesex Conference has been our nonprofit’s biggest supporter,” said Cyndi Tufaro, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s executive director. “Words can never express our gratitude to all those throughout the conference who have selflessly worked together over the past five years to profoundly impact the lives of children in need. The Greater Middlesex Conference girls soccer community is continuing that tradition in exemplary fashion. We are honored to once again join Go4theGoal as a beneficiary of this amazing charity festival.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

For the second consecutive year, the Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival will also collect donations for REPLENISH, which serves a network of more than 140 local food pantries, soup kitchens and social service agencies.

Spectators attending the charity festival are encouraged to drop off nonperishable food items at Metuchen High School on the day of the event.

Canned chicken, cereal, macaroni and cheese, canned meats, pasta, vegetables (low sodium), fruits (low sugar), diapers, wipes, stew (low sodium), granola bars, rice, dry beans (red, black, pinto), paper products, soap, shampoo, and toothpaste are among the preferred items for donation. REPLENISH can only accept canned and packaged goods (no glass items).

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, 1 in 12 residents and 1 in 10 children statewide “live in homes without consistent access to adequate food for everyone to live healthy, active lives.”

On the heels of the pandemic, escalating fuel costs and rising inflation rates have exacerbated the issue, as nearly 800,000 state residents are currently food insecure.

“Lacking sufficient food presents many challenges for everyone, but the impacts on children are particularly devastating,” said Jennifer Apostol, director of REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents, including an estimated 30,000 children.

“Children who face hunger are more at risk for serious health conditions like anemia, asthma, diabetes, and obesity and are more likely to be hospitalized. Children dealing with food insecurity also face academic challenges. When a child is hungry, they have difficulty focusing on their classwork, and cannot retain the information and skills necessary to flourish.”

Regardless of the outcomes of the 11 games being contested at Metuchen High School on Sept. 24, pediatric cancer patients, children in need and food insecure families will all benefit from one common goal.

“In addition to showcasing (conference teams), the festival will be exposing athletes to the value of community service,” said Metuchen head coach Mike Knoth, another of the event’s organizers.

“The support from Greater Middlesex Conference coaches has been tremendous.”