April Loiseau Boccasile
The SHS Girls Soccer team is pictured on Beneski Field wearing their “MAKE AN IMPACT” pink t-shirts in support of the March of Dimes.
“Most people are aware of the success on the field of the Suffield High School Girls Soccer program. However, what people don’t know is what the program does to help the community. The Soccer program is most proud of the tradition they have established of supporting charities and giving back to the community,” says Suffield High Schools Varsity Girls Soccer Coach David Sullivan.
“Every year the team chooses a worthy charity that is somehow connected to a player or the Suffield community. This year the team selected the March of Dimes. Not only is the March of Dimes a worthy cause on its own, the team chose the March of Dimes because of the connection with a current player, Isabella Boccasile. The team wanted to help the Boccasile family raise awareness and ‘make an impact’ for the cause,” said Sullivan.
Together Coach Sullivan, his girls and Bella Boccasile designed a t-shirt that the athletes wear before every home game. The shirts have the March of Dimes logo and read “Born to Survive” and “Make an Impact.”
Coach Sullivan and the girls have certainly “Made an Impact” for the March of Dimes. You can’t miss the bright pink t-shirts on the field as they are worn by both the Suffield High School girls and boys varsity soccer players before every home game. “Seeing the girls and boys wearing their shirts for the first time was surreal, it brought tears to my eyes” said April Boccasile, Bella’s Mom.
Almost 16 years ago when Bella was born 14 weeks premature at just 1 pound 12 ounces, the Boccasiles’ were embraced by the Suffield community. Friends, their church and even strangers wished them nothing more than hope. “To see Bella and her teammates create a sea of pink on the Suffield High School turf makes me so proud to live in Suffield” said April Boccasile. “To think that 16 years later Bella is still being supported by this amazing community that we live in is one of the many reasons we love Suffield so much. Everyone wants to see each other succeed and make a difference.”
Between the funds raised from the t-shirt sales and the double header March of Dimes night on Friday, October 14 the girls raised just under $1,500 to support the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is a non-profit charity that funds lifesaving research and programs. They strive to end premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. Pre-term birth is the number one killer of babies and almost stole the life of Bella Boccasile.
Over the past 18 years that David has been coaching the Suffield Varsity Girls, they have supported charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Enfield Loaves and Fishes, the Jimmy Fund and the Christine DelVaglio Scholarship fund. No matter what charity the Suffield High School girls choose to support, every year they are “making an impact” by supporting local charities and the Suffield Community.