Connecticut
How a CT town and its first responders are rallying to help a boy with ‘a million dollar smile’
There is nothing but love behind Gavin Anderson’s big smile.
And now, the East Windsor community is rallying around the 10-year-old and his family with an equal amount of love.
The family is Kate and Colin Anderson and their three children, including Gavin and his twin brother, Spencer, and their 12-year-old sister, Bailey.
Gavin has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is non-mobile and non-verbal and the Anderson home needs major — and very expensive — renovations to make the house more comfortable for him, his family said. East Windsor’s two firehouses, Police Department and the town’s EMS department learned of the need and have joined forces for “Gavin’s Home Makeover Pasta Dinner” benefit to be held at the Warehouse Point Fire Department on Sunday, April 28, at 89 Bridge St.
Among the renovations needed at the Anderson home are: ramps on the front and back of the home so Gavin can easily and safely enter/exit the house in addition to having more than one exit in case of an emergency; creating an ADA compliant bathroom and installing a lift/track system to move him from what will become his bedroom to the bathroom; creating a space in the kitchen for him to play and explore, as well as room to store Gavin’s equipment, including a gate trainer for walking and his wheelchair.
“We’ve had three or four different quotes that are all over $100,000 to do everything we need,” Kate Anderson said.
The Anderson’s broke ground in September on the renovations and they have been ongoing. Anderson said that, even with donations, the family will still likely owe between $80,000 and $85,000. She’s hoping all work will be done by the end of the summer.
Workers are customizing an island in the kitchen for Gavin to sit with his gate trainer or wheelchair to wash his hands at the sink or do arts and crafts.
“The current kitchen is being gutted and will become the bathroom,” Anderson said. “Doors are being widened and all the wood is coming out and being replaced with tile.
“The most expensive part is pulling down the ceiling to reinforce a lift to move Gavin from the bedroom to the bathroom, so we don’t have to carry him. The lift will be helpful as he gets bigger,” she said. “The lift is a game changer for us. We still have to do the front and back ramp, so he has multiple ways of getting into the house.”
Phase II of the improvements includes making the house “smart” to sync him up with Alexa or Google Home.
“He will be able to interact and control his own environment,” Anderson said. “He can turn off or on the TV or turn the lights on or off. Right now, he has to wait for one of us to do that.”
Anderson said Gavin loves to float around in the family pool and loves bubbles, music, playing with friends and family arts and crafts and going on walks with the family’s two dogs. Gavin also has a tricycle.
Kate Anderson said the support from the town has been amazing.
“They are being superheroes in different ways now,” Anderson said. “It’s been amazing to get our town and surrounding towns and businesses to rally around Gavin and this renovation – which is extremely expensive with time and materials.”
“This pasta dinner helps so much, and you won’t understand it unless you are in this situation,” Anderson said. “When you are purchasing a home, it doesn’t come with wheelchair accessibility. There wasn’t a home out there that met everything we needed for every person in the family. Having a fundraiser like this raises awareness.”
The mom said Gavin “is well loved by everyone who knows him.”
“He has a million dollar smile that lights up a room every time he enters,” Kate Anderson said. “He gets to be included in a lot of things. A lot of kids out there aren’t included for one reason or another. We are hoping to bring general awareness.”
Anderson said Gavin’s siblings are protective of their brother and keep him included in whatever they do.
“They make sure kids that aren’t as familiar with Gavin or someone with a wheelchair and bring them over to introduce him to other kids,” Anderson said. “They are trying to teach other kids and that he is another kid and will respond to you. They are very much supporters and cheerleaders for him as well.”
Kate Anderson said she wants everyone in the community to come out and meet Gavin.
“Part of it is awareness. The other part of it is when we go out there is a lot of staring. He’s not an anomaly. He’s a happy kid and loves to be around people. Just because he doesn’t talk. It doesn’t mean there isn’t someone in there that will respond. We want to make sure people will come,” Anderson said.
“When he sees the firefighters, he wants to jump out of his chair,” she added. “He smiles and makes noises and is very interactive when they all come see him. You never have to guess what he’s feeling because he’s so expressive.”
East Windsor’s Sofia’s Restaurant is donating pasta and sauce for the event. East Windsor’s Pickle Jar Deli is providing meatballs. These are two of the 27 sponsors for the event. There will also be raffle prizes.
Jill Caron, the administrative assistant at the Warehouse Point Fire District, said the organizing process started in January when first responders met with Gavin and his family.
“He’s the happiest little boy you will meet,” Caron said. “The support has been overwhelming both inside and outside of East Windsor.”
Warehouse Point firefighter Heather Mitchell said it’s exciting that all four first responder agencies in town are coming together for a cause.
“We are using our firehouse and pulling out the fire trucks and we are used to putting on large events,” Mitchell said. “So many businesses in town have stepped up and we are very lucky. We are lucky to be in East Windsor. Everyone is working together to make this a success for the Anderson family.”
Caron said the goal is to raise $15,000 and said there will be a touch-a-truck with ambulances, police and fire vehicles outside of the Warehouse Point station.
“So many people are already giving,” Caron said. “We got handed a $500 check from Broad Brook Fire Department. All four of the East Windsor first responder organizations provided $500 apiece as well. So many people are pulling up not only to buy tickets but to give donations. The past couple of weeks we’ve had so many people pop in.”
The Andersons will be at all three separate dinner seatings on Sunday. Each seating can hold 100-125 people and will include pasta, salad, meatballs, rolls and dessert. The first wave is from noon to 2:30 p.m., the second is 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and the last wave is 5 to 7 p.m. Takeout is also available. Tickets are $20 each.
Walk-ins are welcome. About 200 seats of the 560 total available were sold as of Wednesday afternoon. No one will be turned away. To buy tickets in advance, visit https://www.whpfd.org/.
The Connecticut high school football’s CIAC postseason wrapped up with the state championships this past weekend on Saturday.
Finishing in the No. 1 spot in this week’s final Top 25 rankings out of the Constitution State is Avon Old Farms after they defeated The Williston Northampton School, 35-21, in the Drew Gamere Bowl to end their season a few weeks ago. New Canaan sits right behind as they repeated as Class L champs. Which other teams from around Connecticut high school football deserves to be in the final set of Top 25 rankings for the 2025 campaign?
The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
Here are the last Connecticut high school football rankings for 2025, according to Massey as of Dec. 14.
1. Avon Old Farms Beavers
Avon Old Farms (10-0) opened up the Connecticut high school football season by avenging a loss to Brunswick School from last season and have set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Beavers have a talented offense that’s averaging 40.7 points per game, led by quarterback Matthew Baer, running back Kharon Craig, and offensive tackle Charlie Thom (Notre Dame commitment).
The Beavers have concluded their season play out of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Counci (NEPSAC) when they defeated The Williston Northampton School last week in the Drew Gamere Bowl, 35-21. Avon Old Farms finishes as the No. 1 team in the Connecticut high school football rankings.
2. New Canaan Rams
The defending Class L state champion New Canaan Rams (13-0) have done it once again as they defeated Cheshire, 34-13.
The Rams have won back to back playoff games versus Darien and Weaver with ease, winning by a combined 85-13. New Canaan won its 16th state championship in head coach Lou Marinelli’s legendary career. With the win, New Canaan clinched their fourth undefeated season in program history for the Rams (1968, 1969, 2008, 2025).
New Canaan has used a high-powered offense to cruise past opponents this fall, with quarterback Maddox Hoffman throwing for 1,936 yards and 21 touchdowns. Running back Henry Stein leads the ground game as he’s rushed for 916 yards and seven touchdowns.
3. Choate Rosemary Hall Wild Boars
Choate Rosemary Hall (8-2) saw its 18-game winning streak snapped back in Week 1 when they lost against New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy in a battle of top-ranked teams in their respective states.
The Wild Boars will finish likely within the Top 5 of the rankings after they ended their 2025 season in exciting fashion as they avenged that defeat by beating Phillips Exeter Academy in the Leon Modeste Bowl in a 44-42 thriller.
In 2024, the Wild Boars had completed their second consecutive perfect season after defeating Brunswick School. They have lost only four games over the last four Connecticut high school football seasons and only allowed only four opponent to score double digits.
The Wild Boars are another prep school that features multiple future Division I players, including Tanner Raymond (Rutgers) and interior offense lineman Will Tellers.
4. St. Thomas More Chancellors
St. Thomas More (1-3) remain steady as the No. 3 team in our latest set of Connecticut high school football rankings after a 50-21 loss to New Jersey’s No. 3 team, Hun School to end their season.
The Chancellors only losses from the 2024 season came against Maryland’s St. Frances Academy, Hun School, and Florida’s IMG Academy, respectively. St. Thomas More doesn’t have anymore scheduled games left on their 2025 slate.
Among the players the Chancellors feature on their roster are four-star edge rusher Alhassan Iddrissu (UCF), cornerback Terron Johnson, running back Malichi Greaves, and linebacker Christian King.
5. Daniel Hand Tigers
The Daniel Hand Tigers (13-1) has dominated in the Class SS playoffs, dominating all three opponents by a combined score of 122-32, after defeating the Killingly Trailblazers, 37-13, on Saturday.
Fueling the Daniel Hand offensive attack is the strong play of senior signal caller Bobby Reh, who has thrown for 2,194 yards and 29 touchdowns to only three mere picks. Junior running back Lucca Boyce leads the ground game with 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns.
6. St Joseph (8-2)
7. Cheshire Academy (7-3)
8. Windsor (12-1)
9. Brunswick School (6-4)
10. Greenwich (8-2)
11. Newtown (8-2)
12. Killingly (11-1)
13. Fairfield College Preparatory (8-2)
14. Wilton (10-2)
15. The Taft School (5-4)
16. Bunnell (10-3)
17. Kingswood-Oxford School (8-2)
18. Berlin (12-0)
19. The Loomis Chaffee School (3-6)
20. Darien (6-5)
21. Brookfield (8-3)
22. Staples (5-5)
23. Cheshire (8-3)
24. Southington (7-3)
25. Mark T. Sheehan (10-3)
For Connecticut high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Constitution State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Connecticut high school scores and football rankings.
VESTAL, NY (WBNG) — In a second straight doubleheader Saturday following up a Bearcats women’s win, the Bearcats men’s team dropped their second consecutive home game, 84-67 to Central Connecticut State.
In a closely contested matchup early on, the Bearcats stayed in it heading into the break only trailing by seven points.
In the second half, Binghamton brought it to within four points before the Blue Devils pulled away once again and went on an 11-0 run and went up by as much as 20 points.
Darin Smith Jr. finished with a game high, 23 points for the Blue Devils.
The Bearcats were without center, Demetrius Lilley which led to junior forward, Zyier Beverly, having an increased role.
Beverly led Binghamton with 21 points and five rebounds.
After back-to-back losses at home, the Bearcats now go on the road for a three game road stretch starting on Wednesday, Dec. 17 against Pittsburgh at 7p.m.
Copyright 2025 WBNG. All rights reserved.
New Canaan faces Cheshire in the 2025 Connecticut high school Class L football state championship on Saturday afternoon.
The game begins at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.
The game will stream live on the NFHS Network.
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What: Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L football championship
Who: New Canaan vs. Cheshire
When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025
Where: Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Stream: NFHS Network
Tickets: $11,50
Record, MaxPrep state rankings: New Canaan 12-0, No. 1; Cheshire 9-3, No. 11
Here’s more information about the game from the Hartford Courant, via the Tribune News Service:
New Canaan is going for its 16th state title and fourth straight under veteran coach Lou Marinelli and New Canaan outscored its playoff opponents, 85-13. Cheshire’s last finals appearance was 2009, when coach Don Drust was an assistant for the Rams’ team, which beat Staples in overtime to win a Class LL title. Cheshire rallied from a 19-point deficit against Fairfield Ludlowe to win the Class L quarterfinal game and beat Ridgefield 21-0 in the semifinals. QB Aiden Gregorich’s pass to Liam Suomala proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left in the quarterfinal.
What is the NFHS Network?
The NFHS Network covers more than 30 sports across the country. NFHS Network costs $13.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
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