The name of former East Brunswick High School Athletics Director Frank Noppenberger, who currently serves as executive director of the Greater Middlesex Conference, fittingly graces 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 second annual Bellamy and Sons Paving Marisa Rose Bowl, which will be contested at Woodbridge High School’s Nicholas A. Priscoe Stadium on June 29 at 7 p.m.
All proceeds from the charity all-star football game benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
The foundation is donating funds from the contest to PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick and the Edison-based Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.
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 this year’s recipient during a pregame banquet at the Pines Manor in Edison. Matt Marchesi of South River was the recipient of the award last year.
Those unfamiliar with Noppenberger should take the time to read either this USA TODAY High School sports article or story from The Star-Ledger, both of which were penned at the time of his retirement as East Brunswick’s longtime supervisor of athletics and physical education.
Simply put, Noppenberger 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 six years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than 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.
In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $26,500 in academic scholarships to 38 high school graduates and an additional 20 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. She was just 13 years old.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, she lived a vibrant life that inspired.