This Saturday, September 24, two WA Boys’ Soccer games will be held to collect further donations in honor of the late Matt Roberge.

Roberge, who would have been a junior at WA, passed away in August after fighting leukemia for many months. Several students and organizations, moved and saddened by his death, have set out to pay tribute to him with athletic events, fundraisers, and more.

The next major event for Roberge is the Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys’ Soccer games on September 24th against Chelmsford, where all proceeds will go to the Matt Roberge Scholarship Fund. Donations of $5.00 will be collected at the gate.

The JV game will begin at 5:00 P.M. and the Varsity game will kick off at 7:00 P.M. Before the start of the game, there will be a rendition of the national anthem, a moment of silence, and the release of 21 balloons — the number Roberge wore during his time on the JV soccer team — in order to pay tribute to him.

These funds will go towards creating an annual scholarship fund to be given out at WA in honor of Roberge. His parents wanted to provide a scholarship for the school after his passing, and the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams pitched in to organize and publicize the event. The fundraiser was led primarily by Student Support Services teacher Lynn Jones.

In order to publicize the event, posters have gone up all around WA and the town. Announcements have been made to the Westford Youth Soccer Association, WA students, and employees of the Town of Westford. Boy Scouts and the St. Catherine’s Church, where Roberge participated as a Life Scout, have also been spreading the message.

Although she cannot speak for Roberge’s family, Jones believes that students are supportive of the event. She hopes for a large turnout for both honoring Roberge and remembering him with the Matt Roberge Scholarship Fund.

Last Saturday, the Harlem Wizards came to WA to hold a basketball event. As for the Harlem Wizards game, it was a reported success.

The Wizards game was organized by WA Dean Betsy Murphy and Abbott Elementary’s principal, Kathleen Huntley, along with the help of the student council. The team played at 3:00 P.M. for elementary schoolers and again at 7:00 P.M. for the older audience, where they versed a WA team called Matt’s Magic. In total, over 1,000 attended, with around 500 at each game. Huntley is finalizing the bills, but confirms that the funds raised have well covered Roberge’s leftover medical costs.

According to Murphy, the atmosphere at the game was “electric” with enthusiastic participation from students in the audience. The bleachers were packed and energy levels were high as the Wizards worked to create a fun and memorable night. As for Roberge’s family and friends, Murphy stated that they were extremely moved. Although they did not speak publicly, they enjoyed the game and were touched by the support.

Murphy commends the students for their immense help; 200 tickets were sold at lunch or at the Friday night football game thanks to their initiative. Students created tokens of appreciation for Roberge such as T-Shirts, orange bracelets, and athletic bands. She also praised the efforts of Varsity Boys’ Basketball coach Christopher Bramanti and football coach Adam Gagne for donating free tickets to spur interest.

Finally, she wishes to thank the Harlem Wizards for playing such a large part in supporting Roberge’s loved ones:

“The Harlem Wizards handled a [sensitive] situation beautifully, and began each game reminding everyone that we were there to support a family and to have fun with that family to remind us what’s important in life….to enjoy it each day that we have it,” said Murphy.