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Philip Caccese Jr. Family Foundation scholarship winners Michel Spoto, third from left, and Charlie De Biase III, fourth from left, are flanked by members of the Caccese family. Included from the Caccese family, left to right, are Kimberly Caccese-Paribello (holding Philip Paribello), Victor Paribello (holding Mikayla Paribello), Maureen Caccese, Phil Caccese Sr., Marisa Caccese and Charles Caccese (holding Charles Caccese). (Caccese family photo)
When it comes to selecting their annual scholarship winners, the Philip Caccese Jr. Family Foundation committee looks for candidates who are academically sound, possess leadership qualities and volunteer their time.
And this year, Charlie De Biase III and Michael Spoto fit the bill nicely.
De Biase and Spoto each received a $2,000 scholarship during the foundation's main fundraiser, the Philip Caccese Jr. Memorial Golf Outing at Grand Oaks Country Club on July 24.
De Biase, who recently graduated from St. Charles, and Spoto, a Blessed Sacrament graduate, will attend St. Peter's Boys HS in New Brighton this fall. De Biase most recently played basketball and football while Spoto played soccer and football.
"The committee was very impressed with their essays ... they are one of the main reasons why they were chosen,'' said committee member Kim Caccese-Paribello. "In addition to having a positive influence (on their teams) athletically, they also did well in school and often volunteered within the community.''
According to Caccese-Paribello, De Biase often volunteered for St. Charles' kindergarten and first-grade basketball clinics while Spoto donated his time helping the Special Olympics and providing food for the needy at Thanksgiving time.
"They both possess can-do attitudes in more than one way,'' said Caccese-Paribello.
The Foundation and Golf Outing are named in honor of Philip Caccese Jr., a life-long Richmond resident who served in the elite 10th Mountain division in the U.S. Army. Caccese, an advocate of youth sports, passed away just over seven years ago of sudden cardiac death syndrome at the age of 31.
Caccese was not only a member of the Staten Island Peewee Football League's Board of Directors, but also started a golf outing to raise funds for the league's Challenger Football Program for children with special needs.
The golf outing is now held to help raise funds for the Philip Caccese Jr. Family Foundation, which has not only awarded $25,000 to student-athletes in scholarships to date, but also donated over $5,000 to several charities that provide for children. The Caccese Foundation has donated to the Frank Reali Family Foundation, which helps provide cardiac screening for students entering high school, according to Caccese-Paribello.
"The outpouring of support we've received from family and friends has been amazing,'' said Caccese-Paribello, Philip Caccese Jr.'s sister. "They help make my brother's memorial golf outing and foundation what it is today.''
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