Pats Great Brings Cause to RMHS

Former NE Patriot, and 3-time Super Bowl winner, Joe Andruzzi addresses RMHS students on November 12.

On Wednesday, November 12, 3x Super Bowl winning Patriots’ offensive guard, Joe Andruzzi, spoke in the Performing Arts Center about his foundation and how RMHS students and staff can give back to patients and families affected by cancer.

The event kicked off with a speech from a DECA student, Julia Silva (‘28). She talked about how her uncle, Mike Lombardo passed away from cancer in 2024. Lombardo was incredibly close with Andruzzi, who had already been running the Joe Andruzzi Foundation for several years. After Lombardo’s passing, the Joe Andruzzi Foundation created the Lombardo Legacy Fund, a specific fundraising campaign to donate money for cancer patients in the name of Mike Lombardo.

Then, Joe Andruzzi had the opportunity to share about his NFL career, his cancer journey, and why he continues to do the work he does today. After he dove into his personal story, the flex block event proceeded with a question and answer section. He answered students’ questions about the Joe Andruzzi Organization and the New England Patriots. The event concluded with a meet and greet, where students and staff had the opportunity to take photos with him.

What is the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and how did it begin?

Joe Andruzzi began his NFL career in 1998, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers. He played three seasons with them, then played for the New England Patriots. In 2003, he launched the C.J Buckley Pediatric Brain Cancer Research Fund at the Boston’s Children Hospital, after watching a cancer patient, C.J Buckley, pass away. This was the beginning of Andruzzi’s passion to help patients and families navigate the financial burden because of cancer treatment.

In his NFL career, Joe Andruzzi won three Super Bowls –XXXVI in 2002, XXXVIII in 2004, and XXXIX in 2005– in his five year tenure at Gillette Stadium. He closed out his career with two more seasons with the Cleveland Browns and officially retired in 2007.

Unfortunately, on May 30th, 2007, Joe Andruzzi was diagnosed with a violent form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The transition from being an NFL player to a cancer patient changed his perspective; he began focusing on his life. In August of 2007, he fully recovered and rang the bell. He has been cancer free ever since being treated.

His experiences inspired him to create the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping and giving New England patients and families hope through financial contributions. According to a WCVB article, they have granted $13 million to provide resources for the greater New England Community. Funds provided financial assistance for everyday costs, as many families struggle to pay medical bills. “So, a lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, a lot of people. When you hear 50% of cancer patients become bankrupt after a cancer battle, that’s just not right, and that’s where we want to step in and help,” Andruzzi said.

The organization also launched an online resource called UniCORN, which allows cancer patients to see tools that support patients navigating the financial burden and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis.

The Lombardo Legacy Fund and DECA’s Involvement

Joe Andruzzi met Mike Lombardo in 2020, where Mike was diagnosed with cancer. Mike Lombardo donated to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, which propelled their friendship. Mike Lombardo became a member of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation board. Unfortunately, Mike Lombardo passed away on July 6th, 2024. The Joe Andruzzi Foundation has dedicated their efforts to honor Mike Lombardo through the Lombardo Legacy Fund. The JAF gave back to the community for a man that lived a life of positivity and was consistently there for his family and friends. “It’s amazing to be able to spread that word, and get more people involved, more people hearing about us on what we do,” Andruzzi said.

RMHS DECA is a club that creates business projects based on a student’s interests. They get to learn about how to create projects to help the community, pitch their ideas to a greater audience, and maintain those plans. A group of three students were interested in creating a community service project: Julia Silva, who led the effort, Zana Jeleskovic (‘28), and Lily Weaver (‘28).  “So, Julia was passionate about that, about her uncle’s story. He was a role model for her. So she said to Zana and Lily, her friends, ‘Hey, let’s make this the focus. Let’s give the money we raised to this foundation,’” Business teacher and RMHS DECA adviser, Ms. Rosenfeld said.

After that, Silva contacted Joe Andruzzi, who was incredibly willing to work with them and plan a date to talk to the school. They were in contact with Andruzzi since late September, trying to figure out a time that could line up. The group aimed to find a flex block that fit Andruzzi’s schedule, and luckily, they were able to plan it for November 12th. 

In addition to bringing in Andruzzi, DECA began the RMHS Pie a Teacher. The club set a goal of $1,000 to collect schoolwide donations for the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. This fall, RMHS DECA students started running an RMHS Pie a Teacher account on social media, trying to get people to donate to the JAF project. The club is almost at their $1,000 goal with under a week left to go. If that goal is met, all nine teachers and Assistant Principal Ms. Buckley will be pied in the face during the Thanksgiving Pep Rally. The Pep Rally will take place on Wednesday, November 26th. “And then each teacher [is] another $100 marker. And it was them; we threw ideas back and forth to each other,” Ms. Rosenfeld said.

How important is this experience for DECA?

This experience was incredibly meaningful for Silva, because her uncle, Mike Lombardo, passed away and had strong connections with Andruzzi. There is a new sentiment in the club among the three speakers because of this fundraising opportunity. “So first, [the] three. Already just… this philanthropic spirit of wanting to give back to their organization and planning and realizing wow, we have to put in the time and the effort,” Ms. Rosenfeld said. “To stand in front of 150 plus people with a mic and share, especially for Julia, her personal story. Yeah, that’s not easy to do. No, I think they’ve already grown so much as public speakers, presenters.”

In addition, the club learned business skills and communication skills in a real world scenario. In this case, Jeleskovic, Silva, and Weaver pitched their partnership idea to Andruzzi and inspired people to donate for a great cause and for a fun event. “And [public speaking] a huge part of business, being able to present, being able to sell yourself, sell your cause or your product, in their case, their cause.” Ms. Rosenfeld said.

In recent years, RMHS DECA has expanded their active membership. In the 2023-2024 school year, there were only 13 members. Last year, their club increased to 68 participants, and then this year, up to 154 registered DECA students. A big reason for this increase is because students learn how open ended this club is. “It’s business driven, but you could make your project or your thing based on your passions, your hobbies, your interests, your family’s medical background in this case,” Ms. Rosenfeld added.

The partnership with the Joe Andruzzi Foundation allowed students in the club to see how impactful their projects can be. “So already, we’re in this period of growth, growth for the whole business department, growth for DECA, growth for this class, growth for the things, the opportunities that can come for students. And it’s just really exciting,” Ms. Rosenfeld said.