By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
November 4, 2016-The 5th Annual Marianne Volpe 5K and Pumpkin Fun Run last Saturday, October 29 at Baldwin Harbor Park was a smashing success as $31,000 was raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Marianne’s husband, Jim Volpe, is Chairperson of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) so both the soccer and running communities supported this worthy cause in her name. Jim started the run the day before Hurricane Sandy hit the New York metro area in 2012.
”I’d like to thank everyone who supported our family in our battle against blood cancer,” Jim stated. Over $150,000 has been raised in the past five years.
Marianne passed away from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer, at the age of 56 on October 14, 2011. There are countless stories of extraordinary people like Marianne whose lives are cut tragically short by this horrible disease.
Shaun, Jim and Chelsea Volpe
Jim and Marianne’s children, Chelsea and Shaun, grew up playing in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), then played for Manhattan College and are still involved in the game today as adults.
With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.