Postponed: Alumni Game to Honor Chris Dhume

Editor's note, 4:15 p.m. July 22: Due to extreme heat, the game scheduled for this evening has been postponed. Organizers have not announced a new date yet.

Huskies alumni of all ages will return to Barry Rizzo stadium tonight at 6 p.m. for a soccer game in honor of their friend and teammate, Chris Dhume.

Dhume was a four year varsity player on the boys soccer team at Matawan Regional High School and was co-captain during his senior season. Dhume was a star athlete, and finished his career as the All-Time Scoring Leader with 22 goals and 8 assists and as the Single Season Scoring Leader with 13 goals and 2 assists. He also made the All-Division Team and played for the Aberdeen Matawan Soccer Club and for teams in Hazlet and Tinton Falls.

Dhume, 17, suddenly after contracting bacterial meningitis in January of this year.

According to Dhume's coach, Dave Deegan, Dhume developed friendships with many of the recent alumni because he played varsity all four years.

"A lot of the players who played with Chris are in college; freshmen, sophomores, juniors and even seniors. Some of them didn't have cars and they couldn't get home for the funeral," Deegan said. "They wanted to do something when they got home."

What started as a small game in honor of a friend exploded into a large scale fundraising event, with all proceeds going to the Chris Dhume Fund, which directly supports the .

The event grew so large that Deegan asked Dora Hrvatin, the mother of two soccer players, one current and one alumni, to help out.

Hrvatin took care of the administrative aspect of the event, Deegan said. She has been working to coordinate water and other donations from parents and plan everything while Deegan focuses on the game itself.

Deegan is expecting no less than forty alumni to return to the field, and is looking forward to seeing some slightly aged but familiar faces.

"I have some players coming back now who are married with kids," Deegan said.

There is a suggested donation of $3 to watch the game, and alumni players are asked to donate $15 and will receive a t-shirt. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, a concession stand, t-shirts and bracelets with Dhume's name and number printed on them.

"This is just a night where everyone is donating their time and all the money goes to the fund," Deegan said.

A shore conference referee heard about the event and offered to donate his time free of charge.

"It's unfavorable circumstances but everyone wants to be a part of it," Deegan said. "It's going to be a really nice night. It's an incredible community response."