In honor of Captain Jason Gerba and the Edison Township Police Department, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has made a generous donation to Special Olympics New Jersey.
All funds from the nonprofit’s donation will exclusively benefit Special Olympics programs and athletes in Middlesex County.
Special Olympics New Jersey provides free year-round sports training and athletic competition in 24 Olympic-style sports for thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Through the joy and power of sports, athletes are afforded opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and build friendships with other Special Olympians.
Gerba has been involved for more than two decades with the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey. He currently serves as a coordinator for the Edison Police Department’s leg of the annual event, which involves more than 3,000 officers from over 400 departments statewide.
The men and women in blue combine to run a 26-leg marathon spanning more than 750 miles across 300 towns to raise money for Special Olympics New Jersey. Edison has been a Top 10 fundraiser each of the past four years.
Gerba and his entire family have been among the biggest supporters of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
On a day last year when Edison police gathered outside headquarters, paying respect to a late fellow officer before embarking on the Law Enforcement Torch Run, the department’s union, Edison PBA Local 75, surprised The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s leadership with a generous donation to the nonprofit.
Gerba made the announcement during a ceremony prior to the run, which Edison dedicated to Detective Sergeant Jeff Tierney, a highly respected and beloved officer who served the township for more than two decades before losing a courageous battle with cancer on Dec. 19, 2021. A devoted family man who loved spending time with his wife, Jenn, and their children, Kyle and Lyla, Tierney was 52 years old.
“On a day when the Edison police are running with heavy hearts and in honor of Jeff Tierney while raising funds for the amazing cause of Special Olympics New Jersey, my wife, Cyndi, and I were moved beyond words to learn about Edison PBA Local 75’s generous donation to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation,” Marisa’s father, Greg, said at the time.
“Captain Gerba and his entire family have been incredibly supportive of our family and Marisa’s foundation, as have so many township police officers. The benevolence of the entire department genuinely knows no bounds. Edison PBA Local 75 dedicates itself to countless causes and has an omnipresence throughout our community. As lifelong township residents, Cyndi and I are eternally grateful. Our thoughts and prayers are also with Jeff Tierney’s family and friends and all those who selflessly serve and protect.”
The 30-plus Edison police officers participating in the torch run that June 2022 afternoon wore two commemorative wristbands, one honoring Tierney and the other honoring Marisa Tufaro and the foundation bearing her name.
Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa 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.
An Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities, Marisa lived a vibrant life that inspired.
The foundation established in her loving memory is a fitting way to keep alive Marisa’s indomitable spirit and allow her legacy to be one of helping others.
Since its inception six years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $300,000 to fulfill its mission.
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 nonprofit has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies, school supplies, and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.