Soccer Field Dedicated to HHH Teen Killed By Drunken Driver

Matthew Scarpati’s soccer career was cut short when a drunken driver struck and killed the Dix Hills 19-year-old in 2009. However, it is through his memory that hundreds of children with cancer will have a rare chance to take up the sport.

Sunrise Day Camp, a summer camp for children with cancer in Wheatley Heights, dedicated its soccer field to Scarpati on Monday, July 9. The shaded field gives campers the chance to play the sport, which they would otherwise have to give up in order to stay protected from the sun. 

“It’s fantastic. Keeping Matt’s memory alive is just the greatest thing. I think he’d be very proud of this,” his father Jim, said.

Scarpati was an outstanding soccer player. He played three years on the varsity team for Half Hollow Hills High School East, participated in numerous clubs and even made the New York State Cup team. A year before he was killed, he traveled to England for the Shrewsbury International Tournament to represent the United States. All of his work on the field ended when a drunken driver veered off the Wantagh State Parkway and hit Scarpati while he was changing his bike tire in a bike lane July 20, 2009. 

Since his death, the Scarpati family, and friends including Dan Silver, have kept the teen's memory alive through a charity called the Miles for Matt Foundation. The foundation pledged $25,000 to Sunrise Day Camp, where several of the teen’s friends worked as camp counselors.

The foundation is nearing its goal after raising $17,000 last month during the , in which more than 300 players from around Long Island participated.

“Usually when tragedy happens, everyone pays attention, but then it wears off. Here we are, three years later, and people are still remembering him and turning it into something good,” Jim said. “Matt would be very impressed if he were here.”

“It’s wonderful,” added Michele Vernon, director of the camp. “This is a wonderful legacy. He’s a part of the future now.”

To donate to the Miles for Matt Foundation, visit http://www.miles4matt.com/?page_id=11. To donate to Sunrise Day Camp, visit http://www.sunrisedaycamp.org/donations.php