Chris Dhume Alumni Soccer Game Held In Monmouth County

Editor’s Note: Katharine Friedman wrote a personal story about her friendship with Chris Dhume, who died in 2011 of bacterial meningitis. The fifth annual Chris Dhume Alumni soccer game was recently held at Matawan Regional High School.

By Katharine Friedman

January 23, 2011, a date I will never forget. It was a Saturday, and I had to study for my senior year mid-term exams for the following Monday. I had been watching the morning news when my mother’s cell phone rang. About two minutes later I heard a crack in her voice, looked over and saw she was in tears as she hung up. I asked “Mom what’s wrong?” She asked if I knew a boy in my class named Chris Dhume. I said “Yes (Chris had been in a few of my classes since middle school), why?” Mom said she just spoke to Chris’s mother Val Dhume, Chris had passed away the previous night due to a sudden case of bacterial meningitis. I had to take a step back as my mind processed what she said; I had not seen Chris that long ago in my history class and he seemed to be in good health. My mom hugged me as the tears began to fall. I did not know Chris as well as my other classmates; we never talked outside of class, but he was a nice guy and I am glad I knew who he was.

Soccer was a passion for Chris; he had hoped to continue playing in college. Matawan Regional High School and the Dhume family decided the best way to memorialize Chris would be an annual soccer game every summer featuring alumni of Matawan Regional High School. Friends of Chris and alumni who have heard and (been) touched by Chris’s story contact Val Dhume (to) ask to be a part of the event in any way, from playing on the field to selling t-shirts and custom made bracelets. They have his name and the number 21, Chris’s soccer number. I still have a bracelet from the first Chris Dhume Alumni game in 2011; even though the words have faded, I wear it every single day in memory for my classmate.

On July 10, the fifth Chris Dhume Alumni game took place. The players wore Matawan Regional High School colors, maroon and white. Those players who graduated in an odd year wore maroon and those graduated in an even year wore white. While there was a score kept, people were there to remember Chris and watch the sport he loved so much. This year had more girls and older alumni than in previous games. Val Dhume organizes the games every year, and it is hard for her not to get emotional with the growing number of support from Chris’s friends and those touched by his story.

Each year two scholarships in Chris’s name are awarded to male and female soccer students going to college. They have to be great students and continue playing soccer in college. At halftime, Val Dhume announced this year’s recipients are Matt Isaacon and Lyndsey Larsen; both were stars on Matawan Regional’s soccer teams and are proud to receive the scholarships. In what was a surprise, current and former soccer captains gave a plaque to Matawan’s soccer coach, who has stepped down as the coach for next year. (He was) the man who coached Chris when he was playing - Coach Dave Deegan (who spent) fifteen years coaching young boys and girls on the soccer field. I love going to the Chris Dhume Alumni soccer game every year, and I hope to continue going for years to come.

Photos by Katharine Friedman

Photo 1: From left to right: Adam Kuar, Joe Sansone, Tarek Morsy and Bronsen Dhume.

Photo 2: Chris Dhume

Photos 3 - 5: Chris Dhume Alumni game