Charity soccer festival’s goal to help pediatric cancer patients, children in need, food insecure families
Twenty Greater Middlesex Conference high school girls soccer teams are uniting to help pediatric cancer patients and other children in need through their participation in a fundraising event benefiting two New Jersey-based nonprofits.
In addition, the nearly 400 players and coaches involved in the 2025 Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival will also be collecting nonperishable food items for REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents.
The fifth annual showcase will be held Sept. 27 at Metuchen High School with 10 games between evenly matched teams being contested across multiple fields at staggered start times beginning at 9 a.m.
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and Go4theGoal are the charity festival’s beneficiaries.
Since its inception eight years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $400,000 to fulfil its mission of assisting pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
Go4theGoal’s mission is to improve the lives of children battling cancer nationwide by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes.
The Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival fittingly occurs in September, which is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and National Hunger Awareness Month.
In the weeks leading up to the showcase, participating teams will engage in a friendly competition off the field to raise money for the two charities.
Carteret, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, North Plainfield, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, Spotswood, Wardlaw-Hartridge, and Woodbridge will raise money for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
The top fundraising team will be publicly recognized during a special awards presentation on the day of the festival.
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 was an Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.
The nonprofit established in Marisa’s loving memory, which also makes community service an integral part of its mission, has spearheaded multiple initiatives, resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies, school supplies and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.
The foundation has also awarded $36,500 in scholarships to 50 high school seniors and sent 31 elementary and middle school students to a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Museum.