Dodgeball tournament benefits Beavis family

Date: 3/22/2010

March 22, 2010

By Kaitlyn Schroyer

Staff Intern



LONGMEADOW -- Noah Beavis and his parents were told he would never walk after he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disorder that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking.

A year later, Beavis has beaten all odds with the help of the Sport and Event Management class at Longmeadow High School.

Two years ago, the class hosted a dodgeball tournament that benefitted the ABC House. This year, the money raised went to little Noah to help him continue to succeed.

"He really touched our hearts," Louie Katz, senior and one of the general managers of the event, said. "He has conquered a lot."

To help Noah continue to develop and grow, he wears special suits and orthotics. The special suits help him stay upright and the orthotics aid his walking and his control of his feet and legs.

The money raised by the tournament, which took place March 9, was a huge help to the Beavis family.

Currently, Noah benefits from a government-run program called Early Intervention. This program provides family-centered services to help qualified children develop the skills they will need to continue to grow into happy and healthy members of the community.

At the moment, there is some talk in the government about ending or cutting the funding for Early Intervention. If this happens, Noah's family will be on their own. The costs of the suits, orthotics and therapy that Noah needs are huge and every little bit they can get helps.

The tournament raised around $2,000, which went above and beyond the class' goal for the event.

"About 20 percent of the whole student body signed up and participated," Max Haberman, a junior and also a general manager of the event, stated.

Besides playing for the fun of the game, many participants understood the importance of the cause.

Senior Alex Freedman played in the tournament with his team, the Brass Kings. "I worked for the Special Olympics and saw a lot of kids with cerebral palsy. It's a great cause," he said.

The senior team of BCITG made up of Mike Fisher, John Mirkin, Colin Izzo, Rob Hutchins, Christian Banda, Chris O'Connor and Conor Hobert won the tournament.

A check was presented to the Beavis family this past week.

"Noah's a great kid and we're happy to help him out," Katz commented.