SAUGUS — In honor of their friend, classmate, and fellow community member, students and faculty at the Belmonte Middle and Saugus High Schools will wear Red Sox gear this Friday to remember Alan Silipigni.
The 14-year-old Saugus High School freshman, who died Nov. 30, was an avid sports fan and held a particular love for his hometown baseball team.
Silipigni’s cousin, Krista Silipigni, is a senior at SHS and organized the event with the help of friends and family. She says the tribute has grown larger than the family expected.
“Originally my friend, Stephanie Sfeir, and I came up with the idea and we were only aiming for it to be [for] the high school,” she said. “But we didn’t know that [teacher] Mark Schruender from Belmonte was already planning something like this for the Belmonte Middle School.”
A friend of Krista’s sister also collaborated with Barstool Sports writer Jared Carrabis to create the hashtag #wereALANthistogether.
The family is encouraging anyone who dresses up to take a picture and post the image using the hashtag so they can see the support flowing in from the town and around the state.
“Alan’s parents are so grateful that everyone is coming together for him,” Krista said.
An obituary published on Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Homes’ website called Silipigni “the biggest sports fan in Boston,” and said his “infectious sense of humor brought a smile to everyone around him.”
Krista said what she’ll miss most about her cousin is his incredible kindness.
“Everything he did was for other people,” she said. “He had the biggest heart and always thought about others. Every time you spoke to him, he always checked up on you and made sure you were OK.”
She added: “he had a heart of gold.”
