Whiffleball, Jimmy Walk Fundraisers Organized in Memory of Braintree High Teacher

Last year, a group of family and friends participated in the Jimmy Fund Walk with , who was fighting cancer at the time, and raised more than $24,000 for research.

This fall the Piazza team is walking again, but without the former math teacher and BHS coach. Piazza passed away on Oct. 30, 2011 after spending six years at Braintree High and building a long list of friends.

"It speaks volumes about his talents as a teacher and a mentor that so many former students have come back to help with the scholarship fundraising, as well as the work for the Jimmy Fund," English teach Dwayne Dahlbeck said in an email.

"I think kids liked his class so much because he was easy to get along with and relate to, and, probably more importantly, he pushed them. He was not one to accept a student saying 'I can't do this,' and he had a lot of success with students that did not enjoy math and had struggled in the past."

Those connections have also inspired Piazza's former students to organize on Saturday, Aug. 18 at . Piazza occassionally played whiffleball in his class after a big test or quiz, Dahlbeck said, and he was a serious whiffleball player himself.

"Kyle was a very competitive guy and he played hard no matter the score," Dahlbeck said. "One day he mentioned that he would be missing some games because he was traveling. When I asked where he was going, he said he was going to a tournament. I laughed at him, and he told me all about it. Still not believing him, I Googled it and, sure enough, there he was."

The tournament registration deadline is Aug. 16, with a $90 fee for teams of four. Play will begin at 9:30 a.m. and all proceeds go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“It is an event that has the potential to bring the community together and support a wonderful cause which affects so many people each and every year,” said Brittney Rizo, one of the event planners.

So far this year, 10 people have signed up for Piazza's Jimmy Fund team, including some who have pledged to walk the full 26.2 mile Marathon course on Sept. 9, Dahlbeck said.

If anyone is interested in walking or donating, they can find more information at
www.jimmyfundwalk.org/2012/teampiazza. A registration form for the whiffleball tournament can be found here: http://patch.com/A-wzFc.

"The Jimmy Fund is such a great cause and the amazing people from the Dana Farber went above and beyond to try to help Kyle and make his last days, weeks, and months as comfortable as humanly possible," Dahlbeck said. "The fact that we raise money for this amazing cause, and do it in memory of an amazing man, makes it all worthwhile."