Perkins football tourney hits goal

By Rob Borkowski/Staff writer

Wed Dec 03, 2008, 04:29 PM EST

Medfield -

The fourth annual Eric Perkins Memorial Football Tournament Saturday morning at the Medfield High turf field drew a large crowd and easily helped organizers meet their $3,000 fundraising goal.

“The participation was probably the best we’ve ever had,” said Erik Ormberg, tournament organizer and MHS football coach.

“It’s about awareness,” said Joseph Perkins, father of the late Eric Perkins, in whose honor the tournament is held each year.

Four years ago, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the Perkins family lost Eric Perkins to a drunk driving accident while the 2004 MHS graduate was home from college, three weeks before his 19th birthday.

The driver, Eric’s friend Robert Leist, who was 19 at the time, was under the influence of alcohol. Toxicology reports also showed he had been smoking marijuana and had a blood alcohol percentage of .108 the night of the fatal accident.

Leist was sentenced to two and a half years in the Dedham House of Corrections in 2006. He served one year, with the balance of his term under probation, Joseph said.

When it comes to the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol, Joseph said, “Nobody’s immune.”

Sheila Gill and Brad Garnett, Eric's friends, created the tournament to honor the memory of Eric, who had played football for four years for MHS. His jersey number was 40.

Eric’s older brother Matt developed a Web site: www.forever40.org, where the family has asked friends to share their memories of Eric.

“He (Matt) put the entire thing together himself,” said Joseph

 The event had jerseys and stickers available with “Forever 40” printed on them as well, to help keep Eric’s memory alive, Joseph said.

At the start of each tournament, Joseph said, he tells the teams, “If anybody asks you what “Forever 40” means, tell them Eric’s story, and some way, somehow, it might save a life.”

This year, the 2004 football players led by Pat Cronin beat past tournament champions, the 2006 Superbowl team led by Joe Brienze. 

Proceeds from registering teams go to the Eric Michael Perkins Memorial Scholarship. The fund supports a $1,000 scholarship, awarded each year to a graduating senior on the football team

Ormberg said that regardless of other measures of the tournament, he takes his cue from the Perkins family, and it’s “…seeing the looks on their faces that really dictates to me whether it was a success.”