Newton South High field hockey captains Bailey Paisner and Olivia Bianchi raised more than $10,300 for the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), surpassing a $10,000 goal that began with a gray-out game on Brandeis field.
Both seniors organized the fundraiser because each has a parent living with a brain tumor. Bianchi's step-dad Dave was diagnosed four years ago. Paisner's dad received his diagnosis 21 years ago, and the disease still affects their family, according to the Newton South student newspaper, the Denebola.
The team wore gray for brain tumor awareness when it hosted Westford Academy on Monday, Oct. 19, at 4:30 p.m. on Brandeis field. Before the game, the captains had already collected nearly $9,000 through their NBTS fundraiser page. That page shows the total has since climbed past $10,383 from 74 donations.
On their fundraiser page, the captains wrote that Newton South field hockey "has been a source of strength and community these last four years." As their time with the program ends, they said, they wanted to celebrate an organization close to their hearts with their team.
Bianchi told the Denebola that the field hockey team shaped her high school experience. "The field hockey team has been such a special place for me at South," Bianchi said. "It's definitely the place I first found my footing."
Paisner, a varsity player since her freshman year, said NBTS has become a support system for her family. The fundraiser gave both captains a way to combine the cause with the team that carried them through four years at Newton South.
The captains also lead by example on the field. After a win against Wakefield Memorial, Paisner and Bianchi awarded the team's stuffed-lion honor to defensive midfielder Ella Chung for her fast cuts to the ball and sustained intensity, according to a separate Denebola game recap.
Donations to the Newton South Field Hockey fundraiser for NBTS remain open.
