Community Corner
First Annual Pags Classic A Success
Friends, family, teammates and community members came out to honor Alex Paganelli.
The first annual Pags Memorial Classic wrapped up Saturday with beautiful weather and warm memories as friends and family paid tribute to Alex Paganelli.
Alex, who passed away in December of 2010, had a scholarship set up in his name that will benefit graduating Dover-Sherborn High School students who exemplify leadership in athletics and an interest in the arts. Proceeds from the Pags Memorial will go toward the scholarship.
Dover-Sherborn varsity boys lacrosse coach Brian McLaughlin coached Alex in his four years as a lacrosse player at D-S. McLaughlin was at the Pags Memorial Classic lacrosse tournament at the high school yesterday.
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“It was a great turnout for the first year,” McLaughlin said.
The players in the tournament included Alex’s friends, high school teammates, Hamilton College teammates, and current high school students.
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“And it’s all for a good cause,” said McLaughlin.
Family friend Rick Aikey said of the day, “It’s awesome! You can feel it in the air and tell by the crowd in the stands. The weather’s perfect.”
Aikey’s twin sons Garrett and Jeff have both been good friends with Alex since preschool.
“We used to joke that he was our third son,” Aikey said.
Aikey said Garret was Alex’s roommate in college and played lacrosse at Hamilton with him as well. “I don’t think he ever played lacrosse without him,” he said.
Garrett Aikey said that Saturday's good weather was Alex’s way of looking down on them.
He said that the crowd in the stands was larger than this year’s alumni game.
Garrett also said the golf tournament, held on Friday, was a lot of fun and that they raised a lot of money.
“It’s been a great day,” Alex’s father Paul Paganelli said. “It’s a surprisingly big turnout for the first year. I had no idea. It’s great to see.”
“People have been very generous,” Paganelli said, before he ran off to play in the second game of the tournament.
Stuart Brown, a close friend of the family and one of the organizers of the event, said, the fundraiser was very successful.
He said the golf tournament was almost at capacity and the dinner on Saturday night, held at the Elm Bank Horticulture Center in Wellesley, was sold out.
To make a donation to the Alex Paganelli Scholarship Fund click here.