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GET WELL SOON: Schmeider’s immediate family, including his son James Peckham, 10, his daughter Gabrielle Almeida, 12, George Schmeider Jr., 17, his wife, Toni, and his daughter Mia-Rose Schmeider, 5, were grateful for the support. “This is awesome,” Toni said. Gary Constantino, not photographed, who helped organized the tournament, wasn’t surprised of the turnout. “I knew there was going to be a ton of people here,” he said of the crowd of at least a few hundred people. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t explain anything else, other than the birth of my daughter, that’s made me feel better to be a part of.”
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To help his family defray the cost of medical bills, the loved ones of George Schmeider, a longtime coach at Warwick Veterans Memorial High School known for helping others, organized and took part in a rag ball tournament Saturday at City Park where they raised more than $20,000. Schmeider fell ill Aug. 6 and has been in a coma ever since. He’s being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital, but doctors are yet to pinpoint his ailment. Twenty-six rag ball teams, which were broken down to two leagues, 16 competitive and 10 non-competitive, battled one another until dusk. Team Picasso’s Pizza won for the competitive league, while Biki’s Gathering Spot was victorious for the non-competitive league. Pictured here is Schmeider’s family, who all donned T-shirts bearing the Schmeider last name.
