Hingham Family Appearing in ‘Family Feud’ Tuesday night: ‘A once in a lifetime opportunity’

February 28, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer

Mike Reilly's family established a scholarship in his name at St. Paul School in Hingham - where he and his three sisters were enrolled in their earlier years - after he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in December 2019.

"Our family is extremely close, and this was a huge blow. We miss him every day. We are still very close to his wife, Jenn, and she is like a third sister to us," his sister Nicki Disch shared with the Hingham Anchor.

Each year, a scholarship will be given in Reilly's memory to a graduating eighth-grader who plans to attend a Catholic high school.

"We also started a golf tournament, The Mike Reilly Classic, as a way to keep Mike's memory alive and to have a day that brings together all of his friends and family from near and far," Disch said.  "We've already had two tournaments, and they have been such amazing days for us."

His family - including his mother and father, Tom and Dianne, Disch, and his other two sisters - Kelsey Kincade and Courtney Csikesz - came up with a logo and ordered merchandise that is sold through the www.mikereillyclassic.com website.

"The logo incorporates four of Mike's favorite things -- golf, boating, having a couple of beers, and all things Irish," Nicki said. "There are hats, quarter zips, coolers, and other fun items on the horizon." The website also offers information about the golf tournament and sponsorships.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Michael D. Reilly Scholarship Fund and the Play Ball Foundation (https://www.playballfoundation.org/). "After our first golf tournament, we had raised quite a bit of money so decided to partner with a local charity (since we are not a 501c3 yet). We did a great deal of research and decided to partner with the Play Ball Foundation," Disch explained.  "We are a big sports family, and this organization raises money to provide after-school sports for communities that don't have the funding. It's a really great organization."

Following the most recent tournament, the Reilly family presented the Foundation with a check and is looking forward to working with them more in the future.

Reilly's parents live in Hingham, as do Disch and Csikesz and their families. Kincade and her family live in neighboring Weymouth. All four siblings were born and grew up in Hingham. Tom and Dianne Reilly have nine grandchildren.

Among his favorite activities was watching the game show "Family Feud" with his mother whenever he got a chance, so it seemed only natural that when Kincade saw on Facebook that "Family Feud" was searching for Boston families to participate in a segment, she applied on behalf of her own family "just for fun," Disch explained.

There were several rounds of Zoom interviews and questionnaires to fill out, but their efforts proved to be worthwhile. The Reilly family received word last Spring that they had made it to the live taping following a long but worthwhile process that included making a "silly video talking about [us]. I think they were looking for high-energy families!" she said.

Disch and the other four members of her family who were participating flew to Atlanta on the evening of July 4 and spent four days - including COVID testing, filming, and living the "Family Feud" experience, Disch recalls. "It was a lot of fun, and exhausting at times, but definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had some time to visit a lake together and just relax. When would we have the chance to do this ever again - just the five of us?"

After the first episode, the Reillys were invited to appear in a second segment. The first one aired in late February, and the second episode is scheduled to be shown on Tuesday, March 1, at 8:30 p.m. on WHDH.

Kincade, who served as the Reilly team captain, was pregnant with identical twin boys during the filming. One of the twins is named Michael.

The Reillys wore matching colors for both shows —royal blue for the first and pink for the second.

"'Family Feud' allowed us to bring one of Mike's hats up on the 'stage' with us, and we were able to give a shout out and explain that we were there in his memory. It was really awesome," Disch said. "It was a fun experience. While we didn't come home with any [winnings], it's a memory we will always cherish."