Fairfield Community Comes Together for #CapalboStrong

Photo of Charlie Capalbo ’22 — Charlie Capalbo ’22

The University community is rallying for Charlie Capalbo ’22 as he battles his third round of cancer.

Fairfield University is #CapalboStrong.

Undergraduate student Charlie Capalbo ‘22 is fighting his third battle with cancer, but he’s not going through it alone. The community has launched a series of student-driven initiatives in his honor. Join the #FairfieldU Stag movement and complete 22 pushups to raise awareness for Charlie on his courageous journey.

Here’s how to get involved:

Accept the Challenge within 22 hours of being accepted.
Take a video of yourself completing 22 pushups.
Upload your video to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok.

The video should include:

Your name
The name of the person who challenged you
A statement of acceptance
The names of two people you are nominating (Be sure to tag them!)
A caption that includes #CapalboStrong AND #FairfieldU
Tag @FairfieldU

Kicking off the Stag movement is Fairfield’s Club Ice Hockey. Club Ice Hockey Captain Thomas Mazzaro ‘21 said, “Charlie is a Stag and every Stag is family here at Fairfield University. The club ice hockey team is proud to be a part of this movement and we are all #CapalboStrong.”

In addition to the Stag movement, Fairfield’s Students for St. Baldrick’s club will dedicate this year’s Brave the Shave event on March 27 to Capalbo. St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest private fundraiser of childhood cancer research in the U.S. Every chapter has an annual “Brave the Shave” event, where participants raise money to sponsor volunteers who shave their heads or cut their hair. In addition to the Brave the Shave event, Students for St. Baldricks will host its annual "5kFOR5K" as a virtual 5K race from March 7-13.

“I think this year’s event has a lot attached to it. With Charlie being a Stag and a part of our big family here at Fairfield, we’re not only raising money for St. Baldrick's but for him and his family during these trying times,” said club president Marc Stacey ’21. “Even though I don’t know him personally, it definitely has motivated me and other board members in the fundraising process.”