The Marisa Tufaro Foundation would like to extend its sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Woodbridge High School for donating proceeds of ticket sales from its season-opening football game to our nonprofit.

The entire Woodbridge school-community has been among our foundation’s biggest and most loyal supporters.

Since its inception just over five years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than a quarter of a million dollars to assist pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value.

The nonprofit has awarded $26,500 in academic scholarships to 38 Middlesex County high school graduates.

A Woodbridge alumnus or alumna has earned a Marisa Tufaro Memorial Community Service Scholarship each of the past five years.

For two consecutive years following our nonprofit’s inception, Woodbridge has:

  • Donated its facilities and volunteered its staff to host the Greater Middlesex Conference All-Star girls and boys basketball games, with all proceeds from the doubleheader benefiting our foundation.
  • Hosted the Tecmo Bowl for Tufaro, a retro football video game tournament which raised money for our nonprofit.
  • Conducted the Marisa Tufaro Classic bowling tournament as a fundraiser for our foundation and a toy drive that enabled our nonprofit to donate thousands of toys to pediatric patients during the holiday season.

The Woodbridge cheerleading and dance squads recently conducted a food drive for our foundation, enabling us to donate more than 700 pounds of nonperishable food items to REPLENISH, the Middlesex County food bank.

The school-community, which donated proceeds from two other football season-opening games, has also raised funds from a dress down day for our nonprofit.

The high school’s administration also conducted a Pictures with Santa event that generated funds and gift cards for our nonprofit to donate to families in need during the holiday season.

Student-athletes and coaches from Woodbridge’s soccer, golf, swimming, wrestling, and baseball teams are among those from the high school who have joined others in supporting The Marisa Tufaro Foundation over the years.

Woodbridge high school fully funds in Marisa’s honor and memory the Woodbridge High School Marisa Tufaro Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to two exceptional Woodbridge seniors who strive for excellence academically, athletically or in the arts, who overcame adversity (not limited to medical challenges) and who epitomize the caring spirit that the Tufaro family believes makes the Woodbridge school-community special.

Marisa 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, Marisa was an honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities who lived a vibrant life that inspired.