The three-time defending state champion Saint Joseph High School bowling team is partnering with The Marisa Tufaro Foundation to promote the importance of early childhood literacy.
Saint Joseph is collaborating with The Marisa Tufaro Foundation through its upcoming “Bowling for Books” charity tournament to raise money for the purchase of new children’s books for New Jersey’s Reach Out and Read program.
Using a pro-am format, members of the bowling program will pair with Saint Joseph Partners in Mission (faculty and staff) in the fundraising event, which will be held at Lucky Strike in North Brunswick on Oct. 29 at 3:15 p.m.
Leading up to the event, Saint Joseph will conduct a fundraiser for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which will complement those efforts by pledging at least 50 cents for every single pin the competitors knock down. Based on the projected pinfall, the charity tournament is expected to raise at least $2,000. Saint Joseph will also be raffling off bowling items as part of its fundraising efforts.
All money raised will be donated to Reach Out and Read New Jersey on Nov. 1, which is National Family Literacy Day. The day highlights the importance of families reading and learning together and also kicks off National Family Literacy Month.
The funds will be used for the purchase of new children’s books, which Reach Out and Read New Jersey will gift to medical providers in Middlesex County who dedicate their time and expertise to educate and encourage income-challenged parents to read aloud to their children.
As part of a well-child visit at 100 participating health clinics statewide, the Reach Out and Read program incorporates reading into pediatric care, providing children from birth to 5 years of age and their families with free books and resources that promote early childhood literacy.
“I congratulate the Saint Joseph bowling team and entire school community for using their charity bowling tournament to raise funds and heighten awareness about this important initiative,” State Senator Patrick Diegnan said. “This outstanding literacy program provides parents with free books to read aloud to their children, giving them a foundation for success in school and life. Reading books out loud to your child is also a wonderful way to bond and stimulate their interest in reading. I could not be prouder of Saint Joseph for working for this excellent cause.”
More than 1 in 3 children nationwide start kindergarten without the language skills needed to learn to read, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The academy recommends pediatric providers promote early literacy development for children beginning in infancy and continuing through kindergarten.
Reach Out and Read facilitates that goal, making available in nearly 30 different languages free books that are representative of the broad spectrum of children and families the program serves. The stories are relevant and engaging, accurately reflect and affirm a diverse range of identities, cultures, and histories, and contain colorful illustrations that resonate with young children.
“Saint Joseph High School is delighted to be partnering with The Marisa Tufaro Foundation in support of Reach Out and Read New Jersey,” said John G. Nolan Jr., the high school’s president.
“Service to others plays a significant role in the life of every student who attends Saint Joe’s. I am proud of our young men as they give so generously of their time, talents and treasure each time a worthy cause is presented to them. That’s the Saint Joe’s way.”
The charity bowling tournament marks a triumphant return for Saint Joseph to Lucky Strike in North Brunswick, where the Falcons earlier this year won the program’s third straight state group title.
Saint Joseph finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 20-1 record that included winning the Central Jersey Group III crown and the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division championship.
The Falcons return every member from last year’s team including first-team All-State selections Will Cunningham and Kai Strothers, who boasted a 235 average including a perfect game and an 800 series.
Cunningham led the state with a 239 average, which included two perfect games and two 800 series. He won a second consecutive Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament individual title and finished runner-up for the second straight year in the NJSIAA Individual Tournament.
Josh Lamoreaux earned third-team All-State honors, posting a 218 average including a high game of 299. He placed third in the conference tournament and among the Top 10 in the state individual tournament.
Joey Lamoreaux and Brian Burke, who averaged 204 and 196, respectively, were among Saint Joseph’s top five bowlers.
In Rusty Thomsen, the Falcons have an extraordinary head coach and a ringer who is favored to knock down the most pins in the charity bowling tournament, generating significant money for the cause.
As a member of the Professional Bowling Association who placed 17th in the U.S. Open Championships a decade ago, Thomsen won four regional tournaments. During college, he helped St. John’s University twice garner a No. 1 national ranking. The former Greater Middlesex Conference individual champion from Sayreville High School is also currently Felician University’s head women’s bowling coach. Thomsen has bowled 135 perfect games over his career.
What impresses Thomsen most about his talented Saint Joseph bowlers is not their gifts as exceptional student-athletes, but the kindness in their hearts.
“When you meet these kids, it’s hard not to root for them,” Thomsen said. “They are genuinely really nice kids. I think that’s the best part about this team. I tell their parents all the time, you all raised them correctly. They are a reflection of their parents.”
Of their participation in the fundraising event, Thomsen said, “I’m not surprised at all they are doing this. It’s typical of them. They’re a bunch of great kids who like to help people.”
The benevolent bowling team is a microcosm of the entire Saint Joseph school community, which has been among The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s biggest supporters, and which donates to countless other charitable causes.
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.
Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, Marisa Tufaro was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.
The foundation established in her loving memory is a fitting way for Marisa’s parents, Cyndi and Greg, who is a Saint Joseph alumnus, to keep alive their daughter’s indomitable spirit and allow her legacy to be one of helping others.
Since its inception in July 2017, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area, has donated more than $400,000 to fulfill its mission.
In addition, the foundation has also spearheaded multiple community initiatives resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies, school supplies and children’s book for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.
The foundation has also awarded $36,500 in college academic scholarships to 50 Middlesex County high school graduates including Saint Joseph alumni and sent 27 elementary and middle school students to a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Museum.
Sports programs from Saint Jospeh, including its basketball, ice hockey, swimming, football, golf, and baseball teams, have joined the high school’s Campus Ministry and student council to make significant contributions to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
“We’ve been blessed beyond words with amazing support from so many people, including the entire Saint Joseph school community,” said Marisa’s mother, Cyndi Tufaro, who is the foundation’s executive director and the principal at James Monroe Elementary School in Edison.
“This particular fundraiser has added meaning because of the profound impact reading had on Marisa and the role books played in her life,” said Marisa’s father, Greg, a former sports writer for USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey. “Our nonprofit considers itself honored to be able to provide the gift of literacy to children and families in need.
“We can’t thank everyone enough who is donating to the cause and hope their benevolence is exponentially returned.”