Bailey Bowl tradition lives on

"He was always a good guy to be around and always had a smile on his face,” friend and former teammate Nick Manfredo said of Rick Bailey. “If anything got too tense at football practice, he was there laughing and breaking up the monotonous.”

For eight continuous years, MacArthur High School alumni from 2004 and beyond have gathered on the turf to compete in a flag football tournament in memory of Bailey, a past tight end for the Generals. With Bailey’s name stamped on T-shirts and more than 100 people in attendance last Sunday, 24 teams played for the winning title and a chance to participate in the only sport he ever loved.

“The first year we put it together, we planned it in less than one month,” coordinator Steven Mazziotti said. “It speaks volumes for the community because so many people came out from all over to help make it happen.”

The first Bailey Bowl took place in November 2008, less than one month after Bailey was gunned down on a side street in Albany while walking back to his off-campus apartment. The 22-year-old senior was due to graduate from SUNY Albany that December.

“It’s pretty amazing how it has progressed from when it first started to what it is now,” Bailey’s father, James, said. “All the kids come down and a lot of them don’t get to see each other during the year.”

Every year, money raised through the fundraiser is deposited into the Richard J. Bailey Memorial Fund and used to support scholarships, each worth $1,000, that are given to two MacArthur graduates.

“We do some scholarships here at the high school for both a male and female student,” James Bailey, the retired NYPD officer, added. “We also leave some money aside for different events and charities we see during the year.”

The all-day event was followed by a get-together at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh to celebrate the day. Proceeds for the fundraiser were also generated through entry tickets.

“We grew up with Rick and we will continue to play,” Manfredo said. “One of Rick’s friends lives in California now and he flies back every year.”