Goshen student launches soccer fundraiser for Hudson Valley SPCA

An eighth-grader at Goshen Middle School is using a $1,000 National Junior Honor Society grant to build a fundraiser that ties youth leadership to a local animal rescue mission. Maci Marszewski will host The Shelter Cup - From Shelter to Forever on April 25 at Goshen High School, where the event is scheduled from noon to 7 p.m.

The fundraiser is being organized with the Hudson Valley SPCA - Orange County and is designed to pull in families through sports while steering them toward pet adoption. A separate event listing says the day will feature a 5v5 varsity soccer tournament with District 9 athletes, along with a dog adoption area. Attendees will be able to visit shelter pets, spend time outdoors with their families and learn more about pet adoption and animal care.

The project gives a concrete local payoff to a student grant that could easily have stayed confined to a school recognition program. The Goshen Central School District said Marszewski is the first student in the district to receive the National Association of Secondary School Principals Student Service Grant, a program it says gives student leaders a chance to carry out a service project of their choice. That fits the National Junior Honor Society’s focus on scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character, and Marszewski is putting those values into a public event with a direct beneficiary in Orange County.

The Hudson Valley SPCA adds weight to the effort because it already has a footprint in the county. Earlier coverage described the organization as a no-kill shelter and humane law enforcement unit based in New Windsor, and it previously took over operations of the Goshen Humane Society. That means the fundraiser is not just raising awareness in the abstract; it is supporting an established local rescue network that already serves Goshen and surrounding communities.

Community backing has started to follow. The Goshen Rotary Club said Marszewski recently spoke to the club and encouraged members to support her cause. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are also available, giving local businesses and residents another way to participate in an event that aims to convert a soccer tournament into adoption interest, shelter support and long-term aid for animals in need.