RED BANK, NJ — Red Bank's annual AYF Night is set to take place on Wednesday and will be held in memory of Terry Haupt Jr., a student who was struck and killed by a train in May.
Set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. against Holmdel, Red Bank American Youth Football & Cheer (AYF/AYC) will dedicate its home opener in Haupt's memory, who was 16-years-old at the time of his death.
AYF Night is a longstanding tradition at the Red Bank Regional Home Opener, and "one of the most exciting nights of the season" for Red Bank Bucs Youth Football players and cheerleaders, as future Bucs run onto the field with the RBR team and cheer alongside the Varsity Squad.
"This year, President Alan Soden, Coach TK, and Athletic Director Mike Stoia have renamed the event in honor of Terry Haupt, our beloved athlete who tragically lost his life in an accident, earlier this year," Red Bank AYF/AYC announced in an online post.
"Terry represented everything we value in a Buc — heart, dedication, and love for life and everyone around him — and it's fitting that this tradition now carries his name."
For the event, all AYF players in uniform will get in free with a paying adult. AYF athletes will also be recognized on the field before the game.
The organization is encouraging attendees to wear their AYF gear and show support for Red Bank's future stars.
"AYF Night remains a celebration of our youth athletes and now a tribute to Terry's legacy, a night our kids look forward to every season. As always, we encourage all of our BUCS to join the event."
Red Bank AYF Night will be held in Haupt's honor after the Red Bank Regional High School student was struck and killed by a North Jersey Coast Line train in May.
In an online post, Red Bank Deputy Mayor Kate L. Triggiano mourned Haupt, noting "countless people" who gathered to remember him at a memorial service held in his honor.
"Our community is deeply mourning the tragic loss of a Red Bank child who was horrifically struck and killed by a train this morning," Triggiano said.
"The amount of lives this child touched with his kindness and personality is overwhelming," she continued. "He is loved by his family, his peers, his teammates, his coaches, his neighbors, his classmates, his teachers, everyone."
Following Haupt's death, a community member started an online petition calling for the immediate implementation of high-intensity anti-collision lights (white strobes or beacons) at all railway intersections across New Jersey, in an effort to make them safer.
According to Jeffrey Lucien, the petition organizer, the lights, coupled with advanced warning systems, can significantly enhance visibility and serve as "a crucial deterrent against future accidents involving trains, vehicles, and pedestrians."
"Terry's death serves as a vivid reminder of the inherent dangers that exist at railway crossings and the need for effective preventive measures to protect both pedestrians and motorists," Lucien said. "...Honoring Terry's memory by committing to improved railway safety can ensure that his death was not in vain."
As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition has gathered 1,842 signatures. You can read the full petition here.
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