Liam’s legacy spreads cross-country

“Liam was a source of light and joy to all who knew him,” Nick Bascle says of his son, who passed away at age 7 after a long battle with pediatric brain cancer.

Diagnosed at just 10 months old, Liam’s courage and resilience were an inspiration. “Despite his challenges, Liam’s spirit was unbroken, and he could find joy in all of life’s moments,” Nick recalls.

In the wake of Liam’s passing, Nick and his wife, Sarah, needed a positive outlet for their grief. Nick reached out to Jimmy Fund Golf presented by Mohegan Sun with no fundraising experience and low expectations, but soon enough, in 2021, the first annual Links Fore Liam golf tournament was held to raise money for pediatric brain cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

While many friends and family came out to participate, support for Nick’s cause also came from some unlikely strangers. After Liam passed, Nick spent a lot of his time as a single on the golf course being paired with people he did not know. Many participants in the first Links Fore Liam tournament were these “strangers,” who were inspired by Nick sharing Liam’s story with them as they played the course. 

Nick also acquired a generous, anonymous donor, who overheard him and Sarah at dinner sharing memories of Liam and introduced himself. Every year since the first year, this donor has matched all gifts up to $25,000. And, after the Bascles reached out to a web designer for pricing and information for a tournament website, Beyond the Brand Media built and continues to run the site for free.

Nick never imagined that Links Fore Liam would grow into what it has today. Entering its fourth successful year at the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, Links Fore Liam has raised nearly $450,000 for lifesaving cancer research at Dana-Farber.

“Links Fore Liam is not just about golf,” Nick says. “It’s a beacon of hope and a rallying point for the community to come together to fight a deadly disease.”

Now, Nick is inviting a new community to honor Liam’s legacy and fight pediatric brain cancer. The Bascles recently moved to Colorado and Nick established a second tournament location at the Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison, CO. Nick feels confident the Colorado Links Fore Liam tournament will be another huge success, attracting players, sponsors, and supporters from their beautiful new community. The anonymous donor will support both the Colorado and New Hampshire tournaments this year with the same generous two-for-one match up to $50,000.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire tournament, presented by Energy Efficient Investments, is still going strong. With its committed community base continuing to share Liam’s inspiring story, golfers will gather again this year to raise critical funds for pediatric brain cancer. 

“It’s become an experience for people who join us on the course,” Nick says of Links Fore Liam. “Everyone is in a great mood. Most of us haven’t seen each other since last year and we just pick right up where we left off. Five hours of golf at a beautiful location—it’s like a mini vacation.”

Nick and Sarah never tire of gushing about their beloved son, Liam. It’s how they honor his memory since he lost his battle with pediatric brain cancer—and why they feel confident Liam’s story will continue to inspire people across the country to support their fundraising efforts through Jimmy Fund Golf.

“Liam was truly an amazing individual,” Nick says. “He was meant to do great things. It is our duty to do great things for him and for other kids. We have to keep his story alive.”

Out of their grief, the Bascles have built something positive to help other families facing unimaginable tragedy. Links Fore Liam increases awareness, creates urgency, and fights to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer.

And Liam’s legacy is only growing stronger every day.

Learn more information on how to start or join a fundraising tournament through Jimmy Fund Golf. Or, if golf isn’t your thing, learn how to create a fundraising event of your choosing through Jimmy FundRaisers.

Join families like the Bascles and support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. 

Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide through community-based fundraising events and other programs that solely and directly benefit Dana-Farber. Learn more about how you can get involved at JimmyFund.org, and follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.