FLASHBACK: All for charity … Friends ‘link up’ for a good cause
TURNING TRAGEDY IN TRIUMPH: Joe Perk, a 1990 Rochester High grad and former Falcons’ athlete, sits with his family in a 2009 photo, including son Liam, who rests on Joe’s lap. The toddler was killed in December, 2009, of a dog bite and the Liam J. Perk Foundation is the focal point of the 2010 Thomas Richards Charity event, which will take place later this month in the greater Rochester area. Courtesy Photo
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Joe Perk remembers the day like it was just moments ago.
It was a day supposed to be set aside for Christmas gift-wrapping and last-minute shopping. After all, Christmas was only three short days away and with many events planned for the holidays, there was the normal hustle-and-bustle of the time.
At 7:30 a.m. on December 22, 2009, Perk and his 2-yer old son, Liam, were in Liam’s bedroom, playing the daily ritual of “open the shades, daddy.” A few minutes later, the Perk family was changed forever.
As little Liam — just 11 days past his second birthday — walked past one of the family’s two Weimaraners, Lloyd, tragedy struck. Liam was bitten on the neck by a startled dog.
“It was something straight out of a movie,” recalled Perk, in a recent phone conversation, of what took place next. “It was something I could never forget.”
Joe’s wife, Carrie, called 911 and, after what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance arrived and Liam was rushed to the hospital shortly thereafter.
LONGEST RIDE
Three hours later, Joe and Carrie Perk were in the back seat of the family Tahoe, along with their younger daughter, Lyla. Being driven home by a family member, the Perks were simply numb.
A day that started with the normal activities of any family preparing for the holidays was halted. Doctors did whatever they could to save Liam Perk, but too much blood was lost by the time of his arrival.
Liam, who began this day full of life and energy, was gone.
When the Perks returned home later that morning, some media outlets were already informed of the day’s events and waiting out front. The Perks went around the block before coming into their house from the back side.
But no matter how they entered their home, it would never be the same.
The Perks were left without a Christmas and … without a son.
“It was the longest day of my life,” offered Perk. “You never think that something like this will happen (to you).”
ALL FOR CHARITY
Matt Moscato moved out west a few years after graduating from Rochester (Mich.) High School in 1989. His goal was to be an actor.
Joe Perk and Matt Moscato were friends back in the glory days of high school. Perk played baseball and football at Rochester High, while Matt Moscato, along with his twin brother, Mike Moscato, who still lives in the Detroit area, were all on Rochester High’s football team together in the fall of 1988. Perk was a junior and Matt Moscato a senior that season.
For the first time, Rochester finished a perfect 9-0 in the regular season, before qualifying for the MHSAA Class A state playoffs for the first time as well. The Falcons lost to Utica Eisenhower, 6-0, in the first round of the postseason, but the team is still considered to be one of the best in school history more than two decades later.
Matt Moscato
Like many friends after graduation, Moscato and Perk went their separate ways. Moscato eventually ended up starting a clothing line, Thomas Richards, named after himself, Matt “Thomas” Moscato, and business partner, Brant “Richard” Wiwi. Perk, who bounced around to different states, eventually settled in Colorado for several years and later moved to Florida in 2004.
Sadly, Matt Moscato was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident on June 12, 2005, in California. Many friends have stepped up to not let his name be forgotten.
The Thomas Richards Charity, a non-profit organization, is operated by Tim Ciotti, Mike Moscato, Eric Weeks, Robin (Pankey) Ritchie and Chip Robinson, all Rochester High graduates and friends of both Matt Moscato and Joe Perk, among others.
Those friendships formed in the late 1980s have led to something greater today.
“Joe and I hung out in high school. We used to ski together,” recalled Ciotti, connecting the dots of everyone involved. “I was good friends with Matt and Mike Moscato. We graduated together.”
Ciotti is now president of the Thomas Richards Charity, which was founded just days after Moscato’s untimely death five years ago.
“We just started it right after (Matt) died, and we slowly started to build on it,” said Ciotti, a soccer and track athlete at Rochester and part of long list of fraternity-type friends that have lasted over time and distance — and trials.
Two years ago, the charity hosted a small golf outing for Krista Weeks, the sister of Charity treasurer Eric Weeks, to help pay for some medical costs. It was the start of something greater.
In 2009, the event was more organized. Another golf outing, this time for Cameron Wasiluk, a handicapped cousin of 1989 Rochester High grad Chris Orlandi, was held and the funds raised helped remodel the Wasiluk home.
It was only a month after the death of Liam Perk that the Thomas Richards Charity began to discuss the Perk’s loss and organize what is set to take place later this summer.
“It was probably a month (after Liam’s death) that we starting talking about ideas,” said Perk.
TURNING TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH
Joe Perk never thought he would be an activist, but he has surely been involved with dog and pet awareness in recent months. That has led to the Liam J. Perk Foundation being formed on March 1 of this year, with the mission “to educate parents and dog owners through seminars, school presentations and events to provide a safe environment for children and dogs as a family.”
The Perks have decided to help turn their tragedy into a positive. Carrie Perk works for Playmore Recreational Products and Services, a distributor for Playworld Systems, Inc. She sells playground equipment to municipalities around the country.
“My wife works for that company, which is how a lot of this all came about,” said Joe Perk.
The Liam J. Perk Foundation has worked with Playworld Systems to have a memorial playground built at local Rotary Park in Cape Coral, in memory of Liam. The park was one of Liam’s favorite places to visit, and the playground was opened in May, not too far from the Perk residence.
The foundation is busy helping to raise additional funds for the project and its awareness campaign. Combining money raised and donations, plus the equipment, labor and supplies for the playground, the non-profit foundation has brought in over $200,000 to date.
On Sunday, July 11, the inaugural Liam J. Perk Foundation Bowl for Education Fundraiser will take place at Friendship Lanes in Cape Coral. This is another event to bring awareness to the foundation, which is committed, “through awareness and education, helping parents and dog owners create safe and healthy home and public environments for children. Ultimately, enhancing and promoting the safety and health of children in all aspects of life.”
The foundation’s web site, http://www.liamjperkfoundation.org/, discusses many ways and goals families and dog owners can learn about some of traits of animals, training methods, and simple observations about household pets that can limit the number of injuries or even deaths of people due to dog bites and animal-related injuries.
The Thomas Richards Charity has the goal of promoting the Liam J. Perk Foundation, and help finish the Liam J Perk Playground.
HITTING THE LINKS
This July 23, one day before Joe Perk’s 20th high school reunion from Rochester High, he will participate in the Matt Moscato Charity Golf. This year’s third annual event, sponsored by the Thomas Richards Charity organization.
“A lot of people have helped out,” said Perk. “We still have a lot more to raise, but I am thankful that so many people have taken part in this.”
The golf outing will take place at Westwynd Golf Course in Oakland Township, Mich., north of Rochester. The scramble-format will have a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
The event is sold out. Following the golf scramble, there will be a fundraiser event at Buffalo Wild Wings in Rochester Hills, 1234 Walton Rd (Walton and Livernois)
There will be raffles, silent auction, prizes, food, drink, music and great people. In the parking lot they will have a music tent with three bands: The Detroit Stimulus Package and the School of Rock Children and Adult Programs.
“Everything we raise, goes right to the foundation,” said Ciotti. “We don’t keep anything for our own use.”
“This is for a great cause,” he added. “People from all over have been offering to help out. The number of people is growing (daily).”
A network of Rochester High graduates, family, friends and even complete strangers have already volunteered to participate in the golf outing and upcoming fundraisers. Using social-networking fields such as Facebook, both the Thomas Richards Charity and the Liam J. Perk Foundation have built up a legion of more than 2,000 registered ‘friends’ with more climbing aboard each day — all hoping to lend a hand. The facebook page for the golf outing is found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=369225257884&ref=ts .
And more help is needed.
Individuals wishing to donate can log onto www.TRCares.com to make pledges, or mail to: Thomas Richards Charity, P.O. Box 82114, Rochester, MI, 48308. Ciotti can be reached at tciotti@me.com.
“It’s amazing how many people have wanted to help,” concluded Perk.
Many hands make light work … and it’s all for a great cause.
(Daniel Stickradt is Senior Editor and Publisher of www.northoaklandsports.com and the Stickradt Media Group. He can be reached at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com or crobs@northoaklandsports.com)
Category: Editor's Column, Featured Articles, Golf Course Reviews, Publishers Viewpoint, Sports Fundraisers, Sports Shorts
