Coach Carl Tarabelli harnesses the energy and spirit of the Needham High School girls’ soccer team to support the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign—raising more than $100,000 in the past three years.
Carl has developed a highly successful fundraising model tied to his team’s performance on the field. He and his athletes obtain pledges from family members, friends and neighbors, and earn their pledges either for every goal they score or every shut out attained. The varsity, junior varsity and freshmen teams compete against each other throughout the season for internal ‘bragging rights.’
Carl also recruits corporate sponsors for a “pink” game played each year at the high school, and the teams raise awareness by wearing pink warm up jerseys before each match throughout the season.
For three years in a row, the Needham High School girls’ soccer team has won the Boston Making Strides High School Challenge, a friendly competition among area schools to raise the most money for the cause. All pledges support the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research, service programs and early-detection initiatives.
“Mr. Tarabelli knows the importance of having the girls take ownership of the cause,” says nominator Cynthia Ironson. “He encourages them to think of their own ideas to magnify their fundraising. I call him the architect, the motivator, the organizer and the enforcer! Most of all, Mr. Tarabelli has succeeded in connecting his athletes to an important cause and getting them started on a life of social responsibility with a focus on giving back.”
