Tag: Marisa Tufaro Foundation

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC’s 24th annual Dan Hayston Memorial Sportsmanship Awards honors dozens of student athletes, and adds Kindness Counts Awards through Marisa Tufaro Foundation

As dozens of student-athletes from around the GMC gathered at the Pines Manor in Edison on Wednesday, for the second year in a row, there was a new wrinkle for those in attendance at the 24th annual Dan Hayston Memorial Sportsmanship Awards Luncheon.

Five of them were honored with Kindness Counts Awards, given out by the Marisa Tufaro Foundation and the Peter Fund, going to those who demonstrate compassion, generosity, kindness, sportsmanship, inclusivity and empathy.

They included John Colon of North Brunswick, Grace Gogola of East Brunswick, Roberto Morales-Lopez of Piscataway Magnet, Juliana Marques of South River, and Shasha Smith of Mother Seton.

The Kindness Counts Award was established in loving memory of the late Peter Bonn Elchoness, a student-athlete from Niwot High School in Colorado who died suddenly and without warning in his sleep at the age of 17 in November, 2022, from a rare disease that causes damage to the heart.

Former longtime Home News Tribune sportswriter Greg Tufaro speaks at the 24th annual Dan Hayston Memorial GMC Sportsmanship Awards Luncheon at the Pines Manor in Edison on April 9, 2025. (Photo: Robert Morris/Studio Rob)

Each received a commemorative plaque and a $500 donation in the name to a charity of their choosing that helps children in need in Middlesex County.

As far as the Sportsmanship Awards, one boy and one girl from each GMC school was honored, while school awards went to East Brunswick, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Wardlaw-Hartridge.

The awards are named after Dan Hayston, the longtime East Brunswick boys’ soccer coach who roamed the sidelines for 22 years and taught physical education there. The Hall of Fame coach passed away at the age of 56 in 2006. With the Bears, he had an unfathomable 358-91-24 record, winning a league record ten GMC Tournament championships.

Ten $300 scholarships were awarded to the Sportsmanship Award nominees, chosen at random, with two additional scholarships thanks to Jim Gano of Crown trophy in Flemington – which donated the plaques for the event – awarded by The Peter Fund and the Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Here’s a complete list of individual winners, who also received a letter from State Senator Patrick Diegnan of South Plainfield, who also attended:

  • Calvary Christian School: Ben Dabrowski and Victoria Barella
  • Carteret High School: Shane Castor and Daniela Portillo
  • Colonia High School: Joseph Figueira and Oyola Mia Cardenas
  • Dunellen High School: Danny Watts and Ella Walker
  • East Brunswick High School: Silas Vega and Samantha Arnold
  • East Brunswick Magnet School: Ramon Garcia and Addison Calabrese
  • Edison Academy Magnet School: Nimay Sathees and Deeya Mulchandani
  • Edison High School: Brody Ferrer and Olivia Smart
  • Highland Park High School: Seth Shapiro and Ruby Miller
  • J.F. Kennedy High School: Jayden France and Darshana Shah
  • J.P. Stevens High School: Sean Weeks and Jada Corbitt
  • Metuchen High School: Daniel Galligan and Ava Barasch
  • Middlesex High School: Owen Reynolds and Madison DeOliveira
  • Monroe High School: Kyle Capodanno and Nishmitha Thambi
  • Mother Seton Regional High School: Olivia Martinez
  • New Brunswick High School: Kevin Mercado and Kennedi Johnson
  • North Brunswick High School: Jahir Dawud and Rahkai Degrasse
  • North Plainfield High School: Anthony Penaranda and Saja Singletary
  • Old Bridge High School: Joshua Santiago and Peyton O’Regan
  • Perth Amboy High School: Yandel Susana and Genesis Soto
  • Perth Amboy Magnet School: Ethan Chendorain and Mextli Lomeli-Roman
  • Piscataway High School: Vaughn Turner and Alisha Dhillon
  • Piscataway Magnet School: Joel Polynice and Leila Martinez
  • Saint Joseph High School: Gavin Rivera
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas High School: Lucas Cassino and Emily Pittari
  • Sayreville High School: Brody Cannan and Angelina Sepulveda
  • Somerset Tech High School: Daniel Wuh and Rohini Routray
  • South Amboy High School: Jeremy Vasquez and Gabrielle Evanski
  • South Brunswick High School: Matthew Gomez Jimenez and Alexis Lease Springer
  • South Plainfield High School: Ryan Rizk and Ava Chapman
  • South River High School: Julius Rosado Juliana Marques
  • Spotswood High School: Matthew Reed Mikayla DaRocha
  • Timothy Christian School: Aaron George Anya Wildgoose
  • Wardlaw-Hartridge School: Ryan Maciorowski Mohisha Jha
  • Woodbridge Academy Magnet: School Sujal Dhoka Kiah Parekh
  • Woodbridge High School: Jahmir Beal Angelina Smolder
by Mike Pavlichko

Weekend GMC charity soccer festival to support pediatric cancer, children and families in need

Girls’ soccer teams from throughout the Greater Middlesex Conference will take the field this weekend to support a number of local charitable organizations.

The 20201 “Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival” will feature 14 girls’ teams from the Blue and White Divisions, totaling 300 players.

The event will be held this Saturday, October 9th – with a rain date of Sunday, October 10th – at Metuchen High School.

Fans are asked to bring nonperishable food items to benefit REPLENISH, Nourishing Neighboors, an regional food bank serving Middlesex County previously known as MCFOODS.

Metuchen Athletic Director John Cathcart and girls’ soccer coach Mike Knoth helped organize the event, which also will benefit Go4theGoal and the Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Go4theGoal aims to improve the lives of children across the country who are battling cancer, providing monetary support, developing unique hospital programs, and funding research.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation assists pediatric patients and children throughout the Middlesex County area, and is run by former longtime Home News Tribune sportswriter Greg Tufaro.

Scroll down to see the full schedule of games.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Metuchen girls’ soccer coach and event organizer Mike Knoth:

Schedule of Games (Saturday, October 9)

10:00 AM

  • South Plainfield vs. Woodbridge – Turf Field
  • Spotswood vs. Edison – Varsity Field
  • Middlesex vs. Sayreville – JV Field
  • JFK vs. New Brunswick – Front Field

1:00 PM

  • St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Colonia – Turf Field
  • Metuchen vs. North Brunswick – Varsity Field
  • Carteret vs. Perth Amboy – JV Field
by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Basketball Coaches Prez asks HS hoops fans to support Marisa Tufaro Foundation, in lieu of attending tourney games

There’s no Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament this year. No big semifinal weekend at Middlesex County College, no Championship Doubleheader at a place that should for all intents and purposes be at the RAC. (But that’s a conversation for another time.)

And the head of the GMC Basketball Coaches Association has a good idea what you could do with the two, three, four or five dollars you might have plunked down for your admission to any of those venues.

Donate it to the Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

Marisa Tufaro

From 2017 to 2019, the Association raised $8,000 for the Foundation – which does a wide range of terrific charitable work throughout New Jersey – via its annual senior all-start doublehader.

But COVID forced its cancellation last year – its status this year is uncertain – and the Marisa Tufaro Foundation still has good deeds to do.

Click here to donate to the Marisa Tufaro Foundation. Any size donation is welcome!

So, Jose Rodriguez – the former Carteret standout, St. Joe’s assistant and current Colonia head coach, who’s now president of the Coaches Assocation – says why not save the few bucks and help out a great local charity.

Its named in honor of Marisa Tufaro, the daughter of MyCentralJersey.com local sportswriter Greg Tufaro. Marisa tragically passed away at the age of 13 in 2017. Born with a heart defect, she received a transplant, but then was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, which ultimately took her life.

Click below to listen to Jose Rodriguez’ suggestion for how you can help donate to the Marisa Tufaro Foundation:

Donations in the amount of a normal game admission can be made online at The Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s website or checks can be made payable to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 10625, New Brunswick, NJ 08906