Hundreds of Greater Middlesex Conference swimmers descended upon North Brunswick Township High School over the course of five hours Saturday to participate in a fourth annual fundraiser for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
All money generated through the “Practice for a Purpose” event benefits the nonprofit, which since its inception five years ago has donated more than a quarter of a million dollars to fulfill its mission of assisting pediatric patients and other children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
Please click here to view a photo gallery and please click here to watch video highlights from Saturday’s event.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies, and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value. In addition, the nonprofit has awarded $26,500 in college academic scholarships to exceptional Middlesex County high school students.
The conference refers to swimmers who participate in the “Practice for a Purpose” event as “Marisa’s Minnows,” a slogan that is more than just a literary device.
The clever use of alliteration is apropos as the carefully chosen words reflect what transpires inside the pool, where competitors from rival programs swim together, as minnows will in large shoals, for a common cause.
Please click here to view an additional video from Saturday’s event.
“It’s a great chance for all the swim teams in the conference to get together, show camaraderie and support a great cause,” South Plainfield coach T.J. Conneely said. “We always have a great turnout, get a lot of donations and the kids love it. They have a good time and it’s a good way to raise awareness for the foundation.”
A few conference members, whose calendars conflicted with Saturday’s event, still took part in the cause, holding or scheduling to conduct a “Practice for a Purpose” within their own programs while simultaneously raising funds for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation or heightening awareness about the nonprofit’s mission.
The conference swimming community has played an enormous role in the foundation’s success, generating more than $25,000 for the nonprofit through its first three fundraisers.
“We are so proud of the swimmers from the Greater Middlesex Conference coming together and helping a great cause,” Metuchen coach Jim Thomas said. “The kids come together to help The Marisa Tufaro Foundation help Middlesex County children that aren’t as fortunate as they are. They really understand they have a pretty good life and they want to help others.”
During Saturday’s event, teams were assigned lanes and pool times, with each using its opportunity in the water to conduct a formal practice, work on different strokes, participate in relay races, increase stamina, or simply have fun while creating new friendships with competitors from other schools.
“It’s a great opportunity for our swimmers to get involved in the community and also help a lot of kids in Middlesex County in need,” Colonia coach David DeGraw said. “One of the nice things about this program is it allows our student-athletes to give back to the community, so we are really happy to participate again this year.”
North Brunswick coach CarrieAnn Egan-Ragavas educates her swimmers about the work The Marisa Tufaro Foundation conducts across Middlesex County, ensuring they fully understand how their participation in “Practice for a Purpose” makes an impact.
“It’s important that they know they are working for something bigger,” Egan-Ragavas said. “We bring the kids together as a community, having kids practice together and not just with their own separate teams. It’s a really nice thing to bring kids together with their talent to raise money and to bring awareness and just have fun together.”
Several of Marisa Tufaro’s former classmates have participated in previous “Practice for a Purpose” events.
Marisa Tufaro, who would have graduated last year from Edison High School, was born with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, a complex cardiac defect which required six open-heart surgeries. Marisa 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 cancer (post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder) to which Marisa succumbed 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 myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.
Metuchen High School Athletics Director John Cathcart, who serves as the conference’s swimming committee chair and collaborates with all the swimming coaches to orchestrate the fundraiser, said “the generosity of the kids and the dedication to their sport and to helping others is just something I don’t even think you can put into words.”
Bobby Savulich, the most decorated swimmer in GMC history, who graduated in 2005 from Saint Joseph High School, where he was an 18-time high school All-American and set state records in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley, praised the conference for rallying together to help children in need.
“It’s exciting to see that Greater Middlesex Conference swimmers are leaders, not just in the pool, but out of the pool, bringing the community together and helping this great charity,” said Savulich, a six-time All-American and 13-time Big Ten Champion at the University of Michigan who narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics.
“I feel like there’s definitely some great schools that compete in the GMC and it’s wonderful to see them coming together for a greater cause. At the end of the day, sports are a fantastic way to compete, but when everything’s over, it’s great to come together as one and help our community out.”
Greater Middlesex Conference Executive Director Frank Noppenberger, who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, said he continues to be impressed with the swimmers and coaches who remain committed to the cause.
“What’s most impressive to me is all the kids and coaches who come out to pay it forward,” Noppenberger said. “The kids understand (“Practice for a Purpose”) is for a good cause. Along with that, you see teams bonding in a non-competitive atmosphere, which I think is the first step in developing great sportsmanship.”
State Senator Patrick Diegnan, who is also a member of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, said, “by its nature, sports are competitive, and this event proves that young people in particular will always join together for a common cause and do what is right.
“We should celebrate their participation in this outstanding event.”
Following are some of the ways The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has made an impact (links take readers to separate stories about each initiative).
- To help alleviate the anxiety that can accompany an emergency department visit or hospital stay, donated a portable gaming station to The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital.
- Provided funding to expand the music therapy program and purchase musical equipment for pediatric patients at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick.
- Provided tuition assistance for children enrolled in Middlesex college’s on-campus Early Learning Center, which provides year-round pre-school activities for children of Middlesex College students, staff, and community residents.
- Sponsored 60 Greater Middlesex Conference golfers to participate in the Tee Off Against Hunger to benefit Hands of Hope, a nonprofit that combats hunger in Middlesex County.
- Provided fully funded grants to make certified therapy dogs available through Creature Comfort Pet Therapy to schools, public libraries, and other facilities that serve children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
- Commemorated National Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day with a donation to the CHOP Cardiac Center at Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick and Team Laney Bug.
- In honor of Edison High School’s graduating Class of 2021, of which Marisa would have been a part, our nonprofit made 10 separate donations of $2,021 – totaling $20,210 – to organizations who share The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s mission of helping Middlesex County children in need.
- Donated $8,000 through the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Greater Middlesex Conference Baseball Coaches Association charity golf outing, of which our nonprofit was the beneficiary, to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital’s Child Life Program.
- Partnered with the Give-Back Initiative to donate gift cards valued at $100 each to 44 Edison Township families in need, helping them purchase food, necessities and presents during the holiday season.
- Provided Thanksgiving Day dinners to patients and their families at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.
- As a way of giving back to the Greater Middlesex Conference, which has been among our nonprofit’s biggest supporters, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation jump-started the league’s fundraising effort to feed county families during the coronavirus pandemic with a $2,500 donation to the Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services.
- Provided funding for a part-time healthcare social worker to assist families of pediatric patients under the care of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Cardiology.
- Partnered with the Colonia High School football team to tackle a Super Bowl-themed community service project that benefited pediatric patients and their families at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.
- Donated to Women Aware’s PALS Program, which offers counseling for children ages 3 through 12 and supportive services including individual and group creative arts therapy counseling sessions to families who have been victimized by domestic violence and abuse.
- Sponsored more than 80 South Brunswick High School student-athletes who donated their time and youthful energy to participate in a charity kickball tournament benefiting an inspirational Middlesex County boy living with an incurable and terminal disease.
- Established a fund at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, from which Marisa received outstanding care for her entire life, to provide financial support to families of pediatric patients from Middlesex County in medical crisis by helping to pay medical, personal, or incidental expenses.
- Partnered with Woodbridge High School through its “Pictures with Santa” event to make an $1,800 financial and gift card donation to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in support of the hospital’s virtual toy drive.
- Donated a total of $3,000 to PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School in honor of the football players and cheerleaders who would have participated in the 27th annual Middlesex-Union County All-Star Game, a charity event which the coronavirus pandemic canceled.
- 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.
- Conducted a boardwalk-themed Family Fun Night for consecutive years at PSE&G 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 the Give-Back Initiative to donate $4,000 to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick for the purchase iPads and age and developmentally appropriate toys and games for pediatric patients.
- Partnered with Teamwork Unlimited Foundation to treat Special Olympics athletes from the Raritan Bay Area YMCA to a Somerset Patriots game experience.
- Partnered with the Saint Joseph High School football program and campus ministry to pack and donate more than 200 “Weekend Snack Bags” for pediatric patients’ families at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.
- 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.
- Paid tribute to the late Ron Mazzola, cancer survivor Jake Koppel and the caring Spotswood school-community with a donation to the Division of Hematology/Oncology at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.
- Partially funded the Make-A-Wish of a Middlesex County girl who was born with a complex cardiac defect to vacation with her family at Walt Disney World.
- Provided summer art camp scholarships to Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum for 13 Middlesex County elementary and middle school students.
- Provided college scholarships totaling $26,500 to 38 high school students whose classroom performance and extracurricular involvement reflected Marisa’s educational success and whose charitable endeavors aligned with our foundation’s mission.
- Sponsored a Middlesex County elementary school’s field trip to Special Strides Therapeutic Riding Center in Monroe, where students from self-contained autistic classes were afforded the opportunity to interact with horses and baby goats.
- Partnered with Woodbridge High School, the Central Jersey bowling community and the Port Reading Fire Department and EMS to deliver more than 1,000 toys to patients at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital during the holiday season.
- As a way of giving back to the Rutgers University baseball program, whose roster features several players that have supported our nonprofit, our foundation matched the Scarlet Knights’ fundraising efforts with a donation to Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital’s child life program.
- Assisted multiple families whose children are in medical crisis, providing financial support through the payment of medical and/or personal expenses.
- Paid forward the generosity Saint Thomas Aquinas High School has bestowed upon our foundation with a donation to the school community’s annual Ahr Star spaghetti dinner, whose beneficiaries included a 9-year-old boy from Middlesex County with multiple disabilities.
- Donated $3,000 to RWJBarnabas Health’s children’s hospitals, paying forward the kindness of football players and coaches who support our nonprofit and in honor of their ability to navigate a pandemic-impacted season.
- Partnered with the Edison and J.P. Stevens high school girls basketball teams to collect baby care items to donate to the Edison-based Ozanam Family Shelter.
- 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 insurance provider won’t cover certain medical expenses.
- Funded the purchase of brand-new metal bunk beds for campers at Kiddie Keep Well Camp, which serves more than 600 underserved Middlesex County children annually.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Partnered with Woodbridge High School and the Central Jersey bowling community to deliver hundreds of toys to patients at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where Marisa underwent a successful heart transplant.
- Made a donation in recognition of Piscataway’s Conackamack Middle School, which honored Marisa during its annual Turkey Trot, to the township’s FISH Hospitality Program, which provides shelter, meals, clothing and other services to homeless families in Middlesex County.
- Provided James Monroe Elementary School students with food items to fill a hundred “Weekend Snack Bags” for pediatric patients’ families.
- Donated more than $2,500 worth of ShopRite, Target and Walmart gift cards to dozens of Middlesex County families in need, helping parents purchase food, necessities and presents for their children during the holiday season.
- In honor of the players and coaches who participated in the Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival, our nonprofit made a $1,000 donation to REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents including an estimated 30,000 children
- Provided meals and goods for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Central Jersey.
- Partnered with Middlesex High School to conduct a coat drive for Middlesex County children.
- Provided gift cards for pediatric patients and their families.