Tragedy 'hits extra hard.' NFA softball game will raise funds for paralyzed 3-year-old
NORWICH — When Katie Beit, a special education teacher at Norwich Free Academy, sent an email to some of her colleagues to see if organizing a fundraising event for the family of 3-year-old Tate Campbell was possible, the response was overwhelming.
On March 15, Tate was involved in a rollover crash while riding in an ATV at his family’s Preston home. He suffered a spinal cord injury that caused complete paralysis in his legs.
For the past two months Tate, along with his brothers and parents, Kyle and Meghan, have been at a rehabilitation facility in Chicago.
“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” said John Iovino, NFA’s director of community relations and longtime friend of the Campbell family. “He’s making progress in terms of strengthening and adaptability, although there is still no movement in his legs. They’re working on a number of things so he can live as normally as possible. It’s a difficult thing when you're 3-and-a-half years old. It’s tragic.”
A GoFundMe page was set up for the Campbell family to help defray the enormous medical costs. And on Friday night the Norwich and Preston communities are hoping for a big turnout on NFA’s Turf Field for a Tough Like Tate Softball Classic fundraising event.
“Everyone jumped on board,” Beit said. “We rolled up our sleeves and we got to work and we’re hoping it's going to be a fun family-filled successful event.”
The fundraiser begins at 5 p.m. with door prizes, carnival games, and food trucks. The wide variety of games for children and young adults include an obstacle course, soccer, roll the dice, face painting, and balloon making.
How the baby formula shortage hit CT: A pediatrician, a mom and a nonprofit CEO explain.
The fundraising event organizers include Jason Bakoulis, Laura Howe, Karen Dicrosta, Jodi Savage, Iovino and Beit.
“We started to reach out to our NFA community, family and friends for door prize donations and volunteering,” Beit said. “We’ve got quite a big group of NFA athletes and students and faculty and staff volunteering. The energy feels good around this. ”
The NFA versus The World softball game will begin at 7 p.m. The NFA team is coached by Tate’s grandfather, Hugh “Duke” Campbell, a longtime Wildcats coach and educator, and Iovino, who guided NFA to a state baseball title in 2003. Campbell and Iovino coached together for nearly 30 years.
Norwich roundabouts: Norwich built a roundabout downtown in September. CT wants the city to add several more.
The NFA team will feature a number of people from the NFA community, including Tate’s uncle, Eric Campbell, the former NFA and Boston College star who was drafted by the New York Mets in 2008 and enjoyed a successful 13-year professional career before retiring with the Seattle Mariners in 2021.
The World team includes policemen, firefighters, and education officials from the Norwich and Preston communities.
“It should be a great event and it looks like we’re going to be blessed with good weather,” Beit said. “It’s a great cause for a special young boy. As parents and educators, when a tragedy strikes a young child it kind of hits extra hard.”
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: NFA's 'Tough Like Tate" fundraiser Friday for 3-year-old Tate Campbell
