New Jersey’s most successful charity all-star football game, whose momentum the pandemic derailed, will make its triumphant return to the gridiron this summer.

Rebranded as the Marisa Rose Bowl and sponsored by Bellamy and Sons Paving, the 2022 version of the annual event will be played July 21 as an intra-county contest, showcasing Middlesex County’s best graduating seniors at North Brunswick High School’s Steve Libro Field.

All proceeds from the game, which has generated $715,000 for charity since its inception, will benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to assist pediatric patients and other children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The foundation was established in loving memory of Marisa Rose Tufaro, the daughter of longtime Edison Township Public Schools educator Cyndi Tufaro and former Home News Tribune and Courier News sportswriter Greg Tufaro, who as a reporter was an integral part of the all-star game since its inception in 1994.

Formerly known as the Snapple Bowl and Autoland Classic, the contest has had several game sponsors in its 26-year history, but the one constant has been media partner MyCentralJersey.com, which provides exhaustive coverage of the event.

New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Marcus Borden, who is the founder and executive director of the all-star game, attributes its success to the participants.

“What we’ve been able to accomplish is because the kids and the coaches buy in and understand the importance of giving back,” Borden said. “The success of the game is due to their genuine commitment to what the game represents.”

Players and cheerleaders selected to participate in the Marisa Rose Bowl will be announced during a May 9 press conference at North Brunswick High School presented by the Pines Manor.

All will gather for a pregame dinner and celebration July 20 in Edison at the Pines Manor, which joins Adidas and Metro Team Sports as the event’s additional sponsors.

The first of seven practice sessions for the game will be conducted July 11 at Steve Libro Field. Details of a community service event involving all game participants will soon be announced.

Borden credited Joe Bellamy, owner of Bellamy and Sons Paving in Piscataway, with infusing new life into the all-star game as its sponsor.

“He knows all about our event and what we’ve done,” Borden said. “I know that Joe and his family have been involved in youth and high school sports for a long time. Joe has a history of giving back and supporting others. It was a pleasant surprise to see he would want to help us continue what we do in our effort to make a difference in the community.”

Bellamy’s oldest son, Joey, a sparkplug on Piscataway’s undefeated 2018 sectional championship team which set a Middlesex County single-season record with 13 victories, played in the all-star game in 2019, the last year it was contested. His middle son, Rocco, is a senior at Piscataway, where he was an All-Big Central Football Conference Division 5D selection. His youngest son, Michael, is an eighth grader with gridiron promise. Joe Bellamy starred at Dunellen, from which he graduated in 1990, and is currently a Piscataway Pop Warner football coach.

“To be connected with the game, especially with (Marisa Rose’s) name attached to it, is an honor,” Joe Bellamy said. “I always felt the game was a great platform, and Marisa’s foundation is synonymous with anything to help children and young athletes, so this is a big deal for us.”

Middlesex County high school football programs have been among the biggest supporters of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which since its inception less than five years ago has made a profound impact, donating nearly a quarter of a million dollars to fulfill its mission.

The nonprofit also has 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 Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $21,500 in academic scholarships to 31 high school graduates, several of whom were football stars at Middlesex County high schools.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation is committed to being a source of comfort to pediatric patients, a financial resource for their families, and a provider of funds and opportunities for underserved children.

State Sen. Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., D-Middlesex, who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, was nearly left speechless upon learning the all-star event will bear Marisa Rose Tufaro’s name.

“Words cannot capture my feelings when I learned that the game will now be known as the Marisa Rose Bowl,” said Diegnan, whose legislative district encompasses seven Middlesex County municipalities. “Directing the proceeds of the game to the Marisa Tufaro Foundation is a wonderful thing. Marisa’s courage will be an inspiration to all of those who participate.”

Marisa Rose 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 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.

North Brunswick football coach Mike Cipot, who has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround at his alma mater since taking over the program in 2017, said the school-community is honored to host this year’s all-star game.

Inheriting a program that finished 2-18 over the two previous seasons, Cipot guided North Brunswick to a 6-4 record as a rookie head coach in 2017, helping the Raiders win as many games that campaign as they did in the previous four years combined. The Raiders set a single-season school record for wins in 2018, compiling a 10-2 mark while reaching a sectional final for the first time since 1979. North Brunswick won as many playoff games that year (two) as it did in all the school’s previous seasons. North Brunswick has continued its winning ways, compiling a 24-7 record over the past three years including another sectional final appearance last season.

“From five years ago to where we are now, it’s definitely special that we are even thought of as a school to host this game,” Cipot said. “That North Brunswick football is relevant and the fact that we get to host an all-star game is awesome for the town, the school, our program and everyone involved.”

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the game. Mike Pavlichko will provide live play-by-play at cjsportsradio.com.

Tickets for the Marisa Rose Bowl can be purchased for $10 at the gate on game day or at Steve Libro Field during regularly scheduled practices.