Pumpkins for Peru Fundraiser If you were a Bergen Catholic alumnus


taking a tour of the building the night be- fore homecoming, you might have no- ticed the Biology lab filled with 100 pumpkins being slathered with gold and red paint. It was the eve before the char- ity “Pumpkins for Peru” sale, and more than 20 “Mission Club” members vowed to paint till midnight for their Peruvian compatriots in need. Thanks to pumpkin and supply donations from Home Depot, Eiseles Nursery, and Bergen Catholic families, 100 percent of sale proceeds went to the Peruvian Mission to help the school Fe y Alegria in the Canto Grande area of Lima, Peru. Generous BC fami- lies were eager to buy the pumpkins at BC soccer and football games.


“I Play for Peru” Can kicking a soccer ball help build a


home in Peru? At Bergen Catholic, it certainly can. The BC Soccer team, in conjunction with the Mission Club, hosted the first “I Play for Peru” charity match against St. Joseph Regional on October 28, 2014. The Soccer Club gen- erously donated $10 for every soccer player who played. All proceeds fund the Christian Brothers Mission in Lima, Peru. Head Coach Rui DosSantos said,


“We’ve always been supportive of the Missions, especially since two of our soccer players have already gone to Peru


Ms.Travaline the Mission Club coor-


dinator explains, “It’s become an Octo- ber tradition for BC families to proudly display their Golden Helmet on their lawn.” The biggest boost of donations came from the raffling of our “Mighty Crusader” jumbo pumpkin, painted by senior Richard Capone (who attended the 2014 Peru mission trip). The Mighty Crusader pumpkin, which was painted with metallic gold armor, drew a large donation and tipped the scale over $1,000 for those most in need. Brother Casey, the North American mission coordinator, was pleased with Bergen generosity toward Peru so far, and met with senior members after his schoolwide presentation. Mission Club Student Vice President


Alex Cabrea summed up the Mission Club’s enthusiasm: “You’ll being hearing more from us.” Bergen Catholic’s dona- tion goal for 2015 is $10,000, and we are determined to meet that goal.


before.” He refers to Jeremy Paparozzi ’15 and Rich Capone ’15, who sacrificed their Thanksgiving break to build homes in Lima. The phrase “Men on a Mission” is displayed across the library wall of Bergen Catholic, and right now the soc- cer team is a part of our mission of ser- vant leaders. They play for something greater than themselves. J.P. Maher ’15, president of the Mission Club, hopes that this soccer match will inspire other teams to sign up—like basketball, football, and baseball—saying, “When Bergen wins, Peru wins too.”


If you would like to make a donation,


please contact Ms. Travaline, Mission Club Coordinator at JTravaline@bergen- catholic.org


Nick Suriano Wins Historic Match and Claims No. 1 National Ranking Bergen Catholic two-time state champion wrestler Nick Suriano ’16 participated in


the 2014 “Who’s No. 1” National Wrestling Tournament on October 18 at Lehigh University, and left as the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 120 pounds, as well as being forever a part of high school wrestling history. Thanks to the event’s unlimited overtime rules, Suriano’s match lasted an incredible 33 minutes, close to four times longer than an average high school match, making it the longest high school wrestling match in recorded history. Suriano secured an epic 3–1 victory over No. 2 Daton Fix of Oklahoma, in the headline match of the evening. Suriano enters his junior season a perfect 84–0 in his Crusader wrestling career, having won back-to-back state championships on the team and individual levels.


FALL/WINTER 2014 21


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