As early as August, students and administrators at James Caldwell High School (JCHS), West Caldwell, began planning and fundraising for the Wounded Warriors as part of their Soccer Saturday and community service activities, raising nearly $1,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project.

Soccer Saturday, held each September, was renamed four years ago to the Colonel John McHugh Memorial Soccer Saturday. Colonel McHugh, a Caldwell native, was killed in the line of duty in May 2010. Each year, the boys and girls soccer teams work together for a day of soccer and fundraising to benefit the JCHS Soccer Clubs and at least one charity. For the past several years, the event raised awareness and funds for both the Wounded Warriors Project and collected items for the Caldwell Food Pantry. The teams also complete a string of other community service projects to raise funds for these programs, as well as donating coats to local coat drives, making sandwiches for nearby food pantries and more.

To raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Project, the teams held several fundraisers, and in late November, JCHS presented the Wounded Warriors with a check for $955.

“Organizing and following through on these events takes a lot of time and effort,” said Rich Porfido, director of athletics at JCHS. “The students and their parents really worked together to make this a success. They were able to help those in need on both a national and a local level.”

For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org. For more information on the Caldwell Food Pantry, contact Maria Burak on 973-403-4623. For more information on JCHS, visit www.cwcboe.org/jchs.