Saint Joseph to host Tufaro Foundation charity event during Marisa Rose Bowl week

Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, which has been a steadfast supporter of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation since its inception, will host the nonprofit’s Tournament of Roses Parade Charity Walk and Food Drive on July 18.

The event will take place three days before the Bellamy and Sons Paving Marisa Rose Bowl, a charity all-star football game benefiting The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, whose mission is to assist children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

“This really validates what everyone already knows about the tremendous reputation Saint Joe’s has and what the faculty and staff encourage their boys to do,” State Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., who serves on The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s board of trustees, said of the school’s commitment to host the charity walk and food drive.

“Saint Joe’s is exemplary in rallying around causes and helping others.”

Recent Saint Joseph graduates Christian Solino (quarterback) and Anthony Roige (wide receiver) are among the high school Class of 2022 players and cheerleaders from the Big Central Football Conference who will be participating in the Marisa Rose Bowl, an intra-Middlesex County game being contested July 21 at North Brunswick’s Steve Libro Field.

Formerly known as the Snapple Bowl and Autoland Classic, the all-star game has raised $715,000 for charity since its inception in 1994.

"Saint Joseph High School is excited to host the Tournament of Roses Parade Charity Walk and Food Drive to kick off the 2022 Marisa Rose Bowl,” Saint Joseph President John Nolan said.

“Since our school was founded in 1961, Saint Joe's has been home to countless philanthropic and benevolent events on the grounds of our 70-acre campus. We are beyond grateful to be included in this rejuvenated event and can't wait to welcome walkers to our community."

Noting that the father of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s namesake is a Saint Joseph alumnus, Nolan said, “Hosting the Tournament of Roses Parade Charity Walk and Food Drive is a natural partnership to help a wonderful cause, as well as one of our own, Greg Tufaro, Saint Joe's Class of 1985.”

Since its inception less than five years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has made a profound impact, donating a quarter of a million dollars to assist pediatric patients and underserved children.

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.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $21,500 in academic scholarships to 31 high school graduates, and an additional 13 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, 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. She was just 13 years old.

Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, Marisa Rose lived a vibrant life that inspired.

New Saint Joseph head football coach Bill Tracy, a member of the New Jersey State Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and his players are committed to participating in the Tournament of Roses Parade Charity Walk and Food Drive.

“There is an energy and sense of family and community at Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen that calls us for a greater purpose,” Tracy said. “For me, this was further verified when in late May I was able to meet Greg Tufaro and learn more about what he and his wife, Cyndi, have been able to accomplish honoring their daughter, Marisa Rose.

“By creating the Marisa Tufaro Foundation, Greg and Cyndi have been able to help so many by raising awareness, raising money, awarding academic scholarships, and collecting items for those who are not as fortunate.

“As a football program, we will be honored to attend the Tournament of Roses Parade Charity Walk and Food Drive and help out wherever we can. This is a part of our greater purpose, and we look forward to helping for many years to come.”

The charity walk is a two-mile stroll along the grounds of Saint Joseph’s scenic campus to heighten awareness about food insecurity.

The accompanying food drive is a collection of donations for REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents, including an estimated 30,000 children, and the Middlesex College Resource Hub & Food Pantry.

Please visit bit.ly/MarisaCharityWalk to register for the walk.

The $10 registration fee includes a free commemorative Tournament of Roses Parade T-shirt and beverages.

All participants are respectfully requested to bring at least one item for donation to REPLENISH and the Middlesex College Resource Hub & Food Pantry from the recommended list below:

Non-perishable food – Rice, tuna, peanut butter, canned vegetables and meats, beans, soup, and pasta.

Other items – Deodorant, soap, shampoo, diapers, baby wipes, gift cards to Target, Walmart, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and Costco.

Sign-in and T-shirt pickup for the July 18 Tournament of Roses Parade will be conducted that day at Saint Joseph’s Brenner Family Field (football stadium) from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The charity walk will commence promptly at 4:45 p.m.

Rain date for the event is July 19.

All participants will be asked to wear their commemorative T-shirts during the walk as a show of solidarity.

The parade serves as a community service project for more than 100 players and cheerleaders participating in the Marisa Rose Bowl.

Frank Noppenberger, executive director of the Greater Middlesex Conference, of which the Falcons are a member, commended the Saint Joseph administration, football program and entire school-community for its continued support of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

“It’s rewarding to see schools paying it forward,” said Noppenberger, who also serves on the foundation’s board of trustees.

“The unique thing about athletics and schools is they always take care of their own, and Saint Joseph in this case is once again helping out Greg and the Marisa Tufaro Foundation in yet another unforgettable way.”

Saint Joseph has been among The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s biggest supporters.

Other sports programs from the high school, including its basketball, bowling, ice hockey, swimming, football, golf, and baseball teams, have supported the nonprofit.

• Baseball players from Saint Joseph joined their peers across the conference in wearing commemorative purple wristbands bearing Marisa’s initials in the months after her passing.

• Basketball and baseball players from the school have competed in charity all-star games benefiting the foundation.

• The bowling team twice participated in the Marisa Tufaro Classic and the swimming team took part in an annual swim-a-thon, with money raised from both events benefiting the nonprofit.

• The football program honored the memory of Marisa and conducted a fundraiser for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation during home games in consecutive seasons. In addition to donating the gate from those contests, Saint Joseph also donated all proceeds from the sale of specially designed commemorative T-shirts.

• Student-athletes from the school participated in the Marisa Tufaro Bowl, an intramural flag football championship game that raised money for the foundation.

• The Marisa Tufaro Foundation was the beneficiary of the ice hockey team’s latest annual fundraising game, which generated $1,000 for the nonprofit.

• Members of the golf team participated as sponsored guests of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, donating their time and skill in the Tee Off Against Hunger, an event that served as a fundraiser for a local food pantry.

• About two dozen Saint Joseph students, through the high school’s campus ministry, sacrificed their activity time during a Community Day to fill more than a hundred weekend snack bags for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation to distribute to families of pediatric patients at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.

• Members of the football program participated in a similar community service project.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Saint Joseph to host Tufaro Foundation charity event on July 18