May 16, 2015 marked the inaugural “Joey Lup Old Timers Game” where family and friends came together to honor Joseph Luparello “Lup” while playing his favorite pastime – baseball. This day marked not only the first ‘Old Timers’ game in honor of Joseph Luparello but also the first event hosted by The Joey Lup Foundation.
In true Joey fashion the inaugural event for the foundation was one to be remembered. From a thrilling ball game, to the touching and memorable speeches and hundreds of attendees; this was a day filled with the three things that Joey loved most his family, friends and baseball.
The gates at the HBA Abe Levitt Field in Hicksville opened at 11:00 a.m., at the very fields where Joe’s love of baseball began. Family and friends approached the field with a lump in their throat that quickly changed to an overwhelming amount of love for Joey and support for each other.
Dena, Joey’s loving wife and brother Anthony kicked off the day with touching and memorable speeches that continued with Nassau County Legislature, Rose Marie Walker presenting Joe’s family with the “Declaration of Citation” declaring May 16th, 2015 as ‘Joseph Luparello Day’. This dedication is in honor of Joe’s larger than life personality but notably for his dedication to his community, coaching, and his love for baseball. As the day moved on Joey’s friends and family shared funny, loving and heartwarming stories reliving the laughter and love Joe brought wherever he went to his undeniable strength as he fought hard against his battle with Lymphoma.
The list of sponsors that showed their support is long, some include Enterprise Lighting Sales , Belmonte Plumbing, Wesco Sports, Robert Chevrolet, The Lemon Ice King of Corona, Teddy’s Kitchen Catering and Hicksville Baseball Association all whom donated their time and services to make this special event a success. Countless volunteers worked hard to ensure that all of the attendees dined on the abundance of delicious food, took pictures with the official Mr. and Mrs. Met, made sure the children laughed and had fun on the bouncy slide; all took their chances to try and win the extraordinary raffle baskets to support the foundation. Raffle baskets included Ray Ban sunglasses, a Brinkmann 5 Burner Bar-B-Q, luxury spa experiences and silent auction items of tickets to the Theresa Caputo show, Mets Baseball and Giant Football experiences, just to name a few!
Let The Games Begin
Although the day started with a little rain, all those that knew Joey knew that the a little rain would never stop him from playing ball and having fun.
The first pitches were thrown out by the stars 
of Joey’s life – his three children twins Joseph Jr. and Mia and Nicolas. Joey’s dad Vincent Luparello, Joey’s younger brother Vincent Luparello Jr. and his brother-in-law Larry Grippaldi were the honoree catchers.
The game itself was exciting to say the least! Dedicated teammates from each of the rival teams that Joe played on – The Cubs and The Red Sox came down to honor their dear friend.
The rosters 
were filled with some talented athletes; all played amazingly well, although some teammates were a little older, a little grayer, maybe a little slower but each and every ball player had a tremendous amount of spirit, camaraderie and love in their heart as they played to honor their dear friend. The rivalry heated up throughout the game when the Red Sox jumped quickly to a 6-0 lead. True grit from the Cubs closed the gap in the bottom of the eight, the Cubs trailing 8-7. It wasn’t until Joey’s brother Anthony stepped up to the plate, with two strikes and two outs Anthony hit a bomb that sailed deep into left center. Some say he had a little help from Joey, perhaps an angel in the outfield? Whether Joey helped out or not the crowd went wild as Anthony drove home the tying run. Up next was Mark Doyle who singled with a game winning RBI. Mark Migliano sealed the deal with an amazing double play which led The Cubs to victory.
The first inaugural Joey Lup Foundation event was a phenomenal success with 100% of all proceeds going directly to the foundation. Family and friends knew that Joey would do what Joey did best –fill a ball field with plenty of smiles, love and laughter. Family, friends, loved ones near and far miss Joey more than words can say; knowing that Joe watched over this game and is their guardian angel warms their hearts as they continue to plan more events in his honor and to support the foundation that bears his name. It was a successful day to remember the man whom is loved and is missed. It was a day to “#LiveLikeLupy”.
About the Joey Lup Foundation:
Joe passed away on November 17, 2014 at the age of 42, from Gamma Delta Sub-Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma in January, 2013 and endured a very difficult two years where he received many chemotherapy treatments, multiple hospital stays, as well as bone marrow transplant. For which his older brother Anthony was a perfect match. After a week and a half of being discharged from the hospital, Joe came down with shingles. His immune system just couldn’t recover. After finding out that his Lymphoma spread to his lungs, and having next to no immune system, Joe passed away. Joe left behind his wife Dena of 8 1/2 years, his twins, Joey Jr. and Mia (8), and his youngest son, Nicolas (7).
The Joey Lup Foundation was created to honor Joseph Luparello (a/k/a “Lupy”). It is the goal of the foundation to help families with loved ones who are battling cancer. From care packages to financial assistance as well as contributions to Lymphoma research, the Joey Lup Foundation will continue Joey’s caring and loving legacy by providing direct support to those in need.
For more information about The Joey Lup Foundation, please visit: JoeLupFoundation.org.