The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Casey Taub

In Chappaqua on April 14th: Remembrance & Dedication of the New Casey Taub Field

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New Castle is a town that loves its kids. Our schools are lauded, our sports events well-attended, our fundraising efforts effortlessly successful. We are proud to be a town that is filled with high-achieving, successful young people who are set to contribute greatly to society in whatever they do.

Which is why it’s so especially devastating to our community when a young person is taken too soon. One example of this was the sad loss of Casey Taub in July of 2017. Casey was a Sophomore at Greeley, an accomplished soccer player who had played through the ranks of AYSO and CYSC as well as Club soccer, proudly always wearing #22. His Dad was always on the sidelines, always volunteering, and even the longest-serving Commissioner of Chappaqua AYSO for over a dozen years (now Commissioner Emeritus). The family was a quintessential suburban soccer family until glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor, struck Casey at age 14.

Casey fought his disease bravely for two years, enduring both chemo and radiation, and cheering on his teammates from the sidelines, but ultimately his young body succumbed to the cancer. Since Casey’s untimely death at age 16, his Dad Jonathan has worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors, of which he is now a Board Member. Fundraising efforts use the hashtag #TaubStrong, and there have been numerous successful fundraising events over the past 5 years. The Casey Taub Spirit Award is also presented every year by Jonathan at the Horace Greeley High School. Also at the high school, the CT22 Club raises money for the Matthew Larson Foundation. In addition, the “#TaubStrong Tee Off” golf tournament will be this October 3rd at The Whippoorwill Club. For more information on the golf tournament, you may contact Jonathan Taub via email at jt@tlsearch.com.

Now, through the efforts of friends of the Taub family working hand in hand with the entire New Castle Recreation Commission, the Town of New Castle is proud to announce the dedication of Casey Taub Field, at Gedney Park. The upper soccer field at the park, site of so many great moments in Casey’s life, will be rededicated in his honor and renamed Casey Taub Field, with a ceremony and plaque unveiling on Friday, April 14th at 4:30.

Casey’s father Jonathan said, “I would prefer that we never had to be here, of course, but it’s just such a beautiful gesture and I’ll always be grateful for it. Anyone who comes up there to the soccer field will say Casey’s name. They’ll do that forever, and that makes me proud.”

New Castle Town Supervisor Lisa Katz commented, “By dedicating this soccer field in memory of Casey Taub, we honor his life and his love and embodiment of the true spirit of the game – passion, dedication, and teamwork. Though he may no longer be with us, his love for soccer will live on through this field and the countless young athletes who will play on it. We honor his memory and the unwavering commitment of his family to our community and our soccer program. This field will represent not only a place to play, but a symbol of the strength and unity that can be found in coming together around a shared passion.”

Please consider joining with the community on April 14th at 4:30 to recognize and honor the light and life of Casey. If you are interested in donating to the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors in Casey’s memory, you may do so at https://www.ironmatt.org/

Don’t Miss CT22 Day in Town: 2/2/22

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By Bryce Bernbach

The CT22 Club is a Horace Greeley High School club founded to honor the memory of Casey Taub, a Horace Greeley student and varsity soccer player (#22) who passed away in 2017 from brain cancer. The club’s mission is to raise awareness about pediatric brain cancer and funds for the Matthew Larson Foundation, a charitable organization promoting and fundraising for pediatric brain cancer research and providing support to families impacted by the disease.CT22 is planning a CT22 Day in town on 2/2/22 in order to raise funds for the Foundation.

Lange’s, Bobo’s and Royal are all ready to help us toward this goal: Lange’s will be offering a 20% discount on its Casey Taub Sandwich and Bobo’s a 15% discount on an acai bowl, with both of these percentages to be donated to the foundation, while Royal will be donating a certain percentage of their profits from the entire day’s sales to the Foundation.

In addition, members of the club will be selling CT22 merchandise outside of Bobo’s.

All proceeds from the merchandise sale will go to the Foundation. February 2nd can be a terrific day to increase awareness of and raise funds for our worthy cause. It is also a great day to shop local, so bundle up and come on out and lend your support!

Bryce Bernbach is a junior at Horace Greeley High School and one of next year’s captains of the varsity soccer team. He has a strong interest in politics and history and hopes to pursue those fields in college. He lives in Chappaqua with his parents, sister, and his Great Pyrenees Titan who his family adopted following a post on Chappaqua Moms. 

 

#TaubStrong Movement Keeps Casey Taub’s Memory Alive & Raises Funds for Pediatric Brain Cancer

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Casey Taub was one of a kind. He was a funny, often opinionated, old soul with a love of Marvel movies and sports. He was the kid who could engage adults as easily as he could rally his friends. But in January 2016, Casey needed his friends and loved ones to rally around him. Diagnosed with a brain tumor, he put up the fight of his life until he passed away in July 2017.

Throughout Casey’s 17-month battle with brain cancer, the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors was a consistent, reliable source of support for the Taub family. Founded in 2007 in memory of seven-year-old Matthew Larson, the Foundation has funded almost $3 million in grants for pediatric brain tumor research and has helped families cope with the emotional and financial struggles of caring for a child with brain cancer.

After Casey’s death, his father, who dedicated himself to finding a positive way to cope with this devastating tragedy, joined the board of the Matthew Larson Foundation. “I wanted to help the foundation that helped us,” states Taub. “Everything I’m doing is to try to eradicate pediatric brain cancer, and I want Casey’s name to be associated with eliminating the disease that did him in.”

To that end, Taub established the #taubstrong Movement as a component of the Matthew Larson Foundation.

#TaubStrong was a slogan created by Casey’s closest sleep away camp friends at Chipinaw, who designed and sold t-shirts to support Casey while he was sick. When Casey came up to visit camp, everyone was wearing the t-shirt. “It was extremely meaningful to him,” says his father.

Taub credits the Chappaqua and Greeley community, “especially Casey’s closest friends, who have been unbelievable,” with helping to keep Casey’s memory alive. “The fact that Casey will always be part of this community is extremely important to me,” stresses Taub.

Casey was an avid soccer fan and player; he was a valued member of the Greeley soccer team. On August 22nd, Greeley Boys’ Varsity Soccer hosted its first annual Casey Taub Memorial 22:22 Soccer Jamboree benefiting the #taubstrong Movement for the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors.

The event, organized by Casey’s friends and teammates on Greeley Boys’ Varsity Soccer, as well as Camp Shropshire, Casey’s beloved soccer coach, began with a dedication ceremony. His father, Jonathan Taub spoke, and Casey’s number 22 jersey was retired. The Byram Hills Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team retired Casey’s number for what would have been his final high school soccer season. Soccer boosters sold CT22 merchandise and food, all of the participating teams made donations, and the event raised over $2300 to the #taubstrong Movement at the Matthew Larson Foundation. Taub hopes that this event will grow and become an annual kickoff to the soccer season in Casey’s memory.

Casey’s classmates in the 2019 Greeley Senior Class also donated proceeds from the Senior Carwash to the #taubstrong Movement. Greeley juniors, Emma Rosh and Charlotte Templeton, contacted Taub to start a club in Casey’s name. With Casey’s treasured Spanish teacher, Senor Warren, as the faculty advisor, they launched the CT22 Club. This year, the CT22 Club raised over $2000 from CT22 merchandise at Chappaqua’s Community Day.

Looking ahead, Taub hopes to extend the #TaubStrong movement beyond Chappaqua. “It would be great to get CT22 clubs in all Westchester high schools,” notes Taub, who plans to develop a full line of #taubstrong CT22 merchandise. Most importantly, Taub, who recently spoke at the Matthew Larson Foundation’s annual fundraising dinner, said that he is looking forward to the day that fundraising dinners are replaced by “celebratory dinners because there is no longer any cancers killing kids.” One day, he hopes, “Casey’s name will be associated with a cure for this horrible disease.”

For more information about the Matthew Larson Foundation, please visit www.ironmatt.org. To donate to this foundation in memory of Casey, please use #TaubStrong when you make your donation.