Friends’ Central celebrates International Peace Day with dedication for alum Chris Campbell

Wynnewood >> It seemed appropriate that Friends’ Central School capped off celebrating International Day of Peace Sept. 20 with a plaque dedication to the late Chris Campbell ‘04, a standout midfielder for the Phoenix prior to the boys’ soccer match against Friends Schools League rival Shipley School.
Campbell, a standout midfielder for Franklin & Marshall, was running with some friends and preparing for senior year when he suddenly passed away at the tender age of 21.
“Chris represents everything Friends’ Central stands for,” said former teammate Jesse Amoroso, who attended the Sept. 20 ceremony. “He left everything on the field and no matter what the result was, Chris ended every match with a handshake and always remembered we were there to have fun, which ties back to the foundation that Friends’ Central gave us with the Quaker values, including peace, and sharing those values in the appropriate way.”
“I don’t want to sound cliché, but Chris was all about the team,” said Chris Campbell, Sr. following the ceremony. “He spread his enthusiasm throughout the entire team and always pushed everyone to be the best they could be. He was deeply rooted at Friends’ Central and he loved Friends’ Central and they loved him back.”
Prior to the start of the boys’ soccer match, Friends’ Central Athletic Director Michelle Crowley gathered both teams together for a moment of silence before welcoming the visitors and spending a moment talking about International Day of Peace and the plaque dedicated to Chris Campbell, Jr. that sits in front of the benches prior to stepping out onto the track.
With the sun shining down on both teams, the Gators and Phoenix were locked in a tight battle for 40 minutes with Shipley taking a 1-0 lead into halftime. Friends’ Central’s youth showed in the second half as Shipley tallied three more goals to post a 4-0 win in a contest that was played tight and clean.
“I never went to school with Chris, but I hear from all the faculty and students who went to school with him about the way he loved soccer and the impact he had on the community,” said Friends’ Central senior Sevag Yepoyan. “Our goal is to carry on his legacy that he left on the school and the soccer program.”
Shipley senior Declan Buckley added, “It was great to be able to play soccer on a day like today and be able to honor Chris and play a sport he loved. We are rivals but at the end of the day we are high school kids and being able to show our support is an amazing feeling.”