Two-hundred Students and 50 Faculty Members Take Part in South Brunswick H.S. Viking Cup for Philanthropy Fundraiser

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ -- South Brunswick High School’s Viking Cup for Philanthropy, a three-event competition involving more than 200 students and 50 faculty members, was held for the second consecutive year.

All proceeds from the fundraiser, which has generated nearly $2,000 since 2023, benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, whose mission is to assist pediatric patients and under-resourced children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

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This year’s competition generated $700 for the nonprofit, bringing the two-year fundraising total to $1,900.

“The mission is to provide financial support and awareness about the foundation through community service with fun and collaborative school-based activities,” said South Brunswick Athletic Director C.J. Hendricks, who organized the annual fundraiser.

The Viking Cup for Philanthropy includes basketball, volleyball and dodgeball games.

“This was a great opportunity for our staff to get together with students outside the classroom and after the school bell rings,” Hendricks said. “Getting the kids together to do fun stuff like this is super important.”

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Hendricks, formerly the South Brunswick H.S. varsity baseball coach, said, “As a coach, I tried to make sure we were involved in the community at South Brunswick. Being in this new position as the AD at South Brunswick High School, I’m trying to expose our kids to acts of service.”

All ticket sales from the three competitions benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which in less than seven years has made a profound impact, donating more than $350,000 to fulfill its mission.

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

In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has awarded $33,000 in scholarships to 42 exceptional Middlesex County high school students who advance the nonprofit’s mission. Recipients include former South Brunswick High School Meet of Champions track and field star Liz Matticoli.

“The beauty about being at South Brunswick is we already have such a great foundation of service throughout our school-community,” Hendricks said. “There’s plenty of organizations that do great work. A lot of our sports teams are involved in philanthropy. I think just trying to connect more on a global scale, in terms of getting our entire student body involved in conjunction with our athletic department is really just the goal. I want all our kids to contribute as much as they can so when they leave South Brunswick and they go to a university or they go out into the community, they have a sense of pride in what they’ve done and want to continue to pay those great gestures forward.”

Teachers from various departments and coaches from multiple sports joined student-athletes and other students from across the high school to participate in the Viking Cup for Philanthropy.

Jim Gano, owner of Crown Trophy of Flemington, generously donated a beautiful trophy for Hendricks to annually present to the winning side. The large championship cup sits atop a solid wooden base with space for engraved annual results and a custom nameplate. The trophy is prominently displayed in a case at the high school.

Marisa Tufaro was born with a complex cardiac defect that required six open-heart surgeries. A heart transplant, which was supposed to extend her life, tragically cut it short after a postoperative complication developed into a rare form of cancer to which Marisa succumbed in 2017 following a valiant battle at the age of 13.

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.

“We’ve been blessed beyond words with amazing support from so many people, including the South Brunswick school community,” said Marisa’s mother, Cyndi Tufaro, who is the foundation’s executive director. “We don’t take a cent donated or a penny raised for granted. The kindness and generosity of South Brunswick High School is extraordinary. We hope their benevolence is exponentially returned.”

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