Mark & Luke
Over five years ago, Mark Raspuzzi took a look at his busy life as a business owner and decided that he still wanted more. He and his wife didn’t have any children, and Mark really wanted a way to share some of his hobbies and make a difference in the life of a child. This brought him to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and this outgoing sports fan was soon matched to Luke, the perfect Little Brother—someone to challenge Mark in sports and keep him on his toes!
Tammy Cimmino enrolled her son Luke into the program hoping to find someone who could match Luke’s energy level and was hoping for a male role model that Luke could look up to. Lucky for both Mark and Luke, they each got even more than they could have hoped for!
With so much in common, Mark and Luke were off to a great start. As the years rolled by and Luke continued to mold himself into the amazing athlete he is today, he always had Mark there cheering him along. Ever the proud Big Brother, Mark let everyone know about Luke’s various successes on the field—from being Western Massachusetts All Star for high school baseball to winning the prestigious Jachym Award for Babe Ruth Baseball.
It’s very easy to see that Mark has enjoyed being a Big every step of the way and values the friendship he and Luke have built. “Simply put: Luke is COOL. And I felt really cool to hang out with him and listen to his stories about varsity games and other things happening in his life.” Over their five years as a match, Mark and Luke have naturally done lots of different things, but they both agree on a favorite activity—their game together at Fenway. Mass Mentoring Partnership did an essay contest where 1st prize was a pair of Red Sox tickets. Well, Mark and Luke came in 2nd place, but their essay was so moving that they still were lucky enough to receive a pair of tickets! The two took a limo out to Fenway and really made a day out of the experience. Mark recalls, “Tim Wakefield was pitching a perfect game that night, but it was broken in the 6th inning.”
But even when compared to something as exciting as riding in style to Fenway for a Red Sox game, the simple things are always easy for Mark and Luke to appreciate. According to Luke, “I love when we take the Mustang GT out for a drive! I’ve enjoyed spending Friday afternoons with Mark. It’s given me a chance to spend time and talk with a guy outside of my circle of family and friends.” Mark also appreciates the way this experience has widened his circle of contacts. “I feel that being a Big adds so much to your life. You not only get a new person to spend time with, but in my case, I got a whole new family that I became a part of!”
So with a high school diploma under his belt, what’s next for this aspiring athlete? “I plan to spend a semester at Holyoke Community College and then transfer out to Worcester State College to major in physical education. I’m going to play baseball at Worcester State as a pitcher and would someday love to play Major League Baseball. Mark wants me to play for the Mets, which I wouldn’t mind, but I would rather pitch for the Red Sox.” Now with Luke over the age of eighteen, the match between Mark and Luke will have to officially close, but luckily there’s no end in sight for this friendship or to the possibilities that lie ahead for Luke!