Madison to Remember Late Student

The Madison community lost one of its own on Sept. 24, when Benjamin Wieler, a 2007 graduate of Madison High School, passed away. On Friday, the borough and high school will honor him by hosting a soccer tournament to raise money for a scholarship fund in Wieler's name.

The Benjamin Robert Wieler Memorial Soccer Scholarship Tournament will be held Friday at Madison High School beginning at 10 a.m. In addition to the registration fee paid by the 32 registered teams, donations will be accepted at the tournament, and all concession proceeds will be added to the scholarship fund, as well. The winners of the double-elimination tournament will be honored with a plaque which will be prominently displayed inside the high school.

One Madison High School student will receive a $500 scholarship each June at the school's senior awards ceremony until the fund run out, according to Anne De Salvo, one of the class parents for the 2007 graduating class, and one of the organizers of the tournament.

Wieler, 20, passed away with family members by his side in Barcelona, Spain, just over two months ago following complications from surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. He was studying abroad during his junior year at Middlebury College (Vt.).

According to Nicole Cecala, the president of the Class of 2007 and the organizer of the tournament, Wieler was an ideal student who made friends with anyone he met.

"He definitely touched everyone," she said. "Our (graduating) class is really tight, since there's only 200 of us. He's a part of Madison, part of our past. It came as a shock to everybody."

De Salvo described Wieler as "one of a kind."

"He was a very bright student and a friend to all," she said. "He had a very genuine personality and kind nature. Everyone that knew him said the same things: he loved life and loved getting to know others."

Cecala said she was deeply affected when she heard of Wieler's death, and she immediately began thinking of ways to bring the community – and her class – together to honor him. Because Wieler was a standout soccer player at Madison, a soccer tournament seemed a natural idea. And since most recent Madison alumni are home for Thanksgiving weekend, she said, it made sense to hold the tournament then.

Since she was away at college in Rhode Island, Cecala turned to De Salvo for help. After receiving approval to hold the tournament from the school administration, Cecala and De Salvo secured the blessing of Wieler's parents, Stephen and Susan Wieler. After that, the two quickly spread word through Facebook and the Madison High School Web site and e-mail system. By the time registration closed last week, 160 players from all age ranges had signed up, and more had offered their help in organizing and operating the tournament, De Salvo said.

Cecala said she was thrilled to see her idea spark so much interest. But, she says, it wasn't very surprising, given how many lives Wieler had touched. Nearly 1,000 people have joined a Facebook group called "Praying For Ben," which was created while Wieler was in the hospital following his surgery in Barcelona.

"So many people were devastated, especially in our grade," she said. "But even in the high school, people down there now – who may not have known Ben – even wanted to support him and the cause."

The soccer tournament is just one of the ways Madison is remembering Wieler, according to De Salvo. A pancake breakfast will be held Sunday morning Nov. 29 at the Madison Elks Lodge, and they will be auctioning off a New York Red Bulls soccer jersey.