KICKING FOR A CAUSE

FAIR LAWN - Lovable and selfless were just some of the words used to describe John Macko. Two years after Macko died from suicide at age 26, his high school friends carry on in his name with suicide awareness and fundraisers in honor of his kindhearted nature.

More than 100 people gathered at Fair Lawn High School's softball field on Saturday for the second John Macko Foundation kickball tournament. Inspirational quotes and suicide statistics were handwritten on posters surrounding the field.

The nonprofit foundation was created two months after Macko died, by 13 of his high school friends, who hold group meetings regularly.

"He was one of the best kids anyone could ever meet," Stephan Macchiorola said. "For this to happen to the best person you know, we knew it could happen to anyone. We knew there were more people out there that we could help and other people grieving like us."

The foundation's efforts come at a time when concerns have been raised about suicides among young people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study saying suicide rates among teenagers is significantly increasing. New data showed that suicide hit record high numbers in ages 15 to 19 years old. With teenage girls, the numbers doubled since 2007 and were over 30 percent higher with teenage boys.

The foundation members worked closely with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and participated in walks before finding their own way and fundraiser idea.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also reported that so far in 2017, suicide is the third leading cause of death in ages 10 through 34 years old in New Jersey.

Last year's kickball tournament raised more than $3,000. The foundation gave a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Fair Lawn High School senior this year who has aspirations to study psychology. With the remainder of the money, the foundation also purchased a bench in Macko's honor at Memorial Park.

The kickball event is the foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year and the organizers hope it grows bigger each year to offer more scholarships. The event had several sponsors and T-shirts, bracelets and raffle tickets were sold to help raise money.

"This is a giant team effort," Diana Spinuzzi said. "Everything we do today is for scholarships. Our mission is to empower, educate, and support all affected by mental health illnesses."

Throughout the year, the foundation participates in other charitable events, like Toys for Tots. This past November, the Macko Foundation held a food drive and donated the items to Eva's Village, a nonprofit for survivors of domestic violence. This past spring the foundation also held a clothing drive for needy families.

Macko was a 2006 graduate of Fair Lawn High School, where he played multiple sports.

"He was just so lovable," Scott Leathem said. "We grew up together and were lacrosse captains together. He was just a great person."