WHO WE ARE

GOAL

Our goal is to to weave together many themes of Liann Bordeau-Buck’s life — her passion for science, respect for higher education, and encouragement to engage in community service by offering scholarship opportunities to graduating public high school students throughout Berkshire County who demonstrate an interest in science education and a commitment to service to others.

 

HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION

The Liann Bordeau-Buck Memorial Foundation was formed in honor of Liann Bordeau-Buck whose life journey came to a tragic end in 2017. Five days after giving birth to her only child, her son Wyatt, Liann passed away as a result of complications relating to child birth.

 

Though her life journey was cut short, Liann left an indelible mark on those around her. She had an infectious smile and laugh and she showed unconditional love for her family and friends.

 

Liann also had a passion for education, in particular science education. As an undergraduate student she attended University of New England and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. During her time as an undergraduate she was fortunate to study in Tobago, an island within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where she rehabilitated sea turtles and seals. Experiences such as this solidified her love of science. Liann graduated from MCLA in 2011 with a BS degree in Biology and Marine Science.

 

Liann also had a deep commitment to giving back to her community. After Liann’s untimely death in 2017, Liann’s parents, Donna and John Bordeau, Liann’s husband Eric Buck, and other friends and family sought to honor her memory through the creation of a scholarship for graduating seniors from her alma mater, Taconic High School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

 

Their desire was to weave together many themes of Liann’s life — her passion for science, respect for higher education, and interest in community service to help young people achieve their goals.

 

The initial step taken by Liann’s Mom and Dad was to work with the Taconic High School guidance team to offer a scholarship to interested students. Simultaneously, Liann’s supporters promoted the scholarship to local business’s and their first fund raiser was organized in 2017 – The Liann Bordeau-Buck Memorial Golf Tournament. The first golf tournament was highly successful and continues through today.  Support for this charitable event grew substantially throughout the years, due to the many generous donations from supporters and sponsors of the tournament.

 

As a result of the growth and success of this annual event, it was decided in 2021 to create the Liann Bordeau-Buck Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit 501[c][3] corporation. The Foundation now makes its scholarships available to ALL Berkshire County public high school seniors. 

 

Recipients of Foundation scholarships grew from two students in 2017 to a total of twenty students through 2022, and the number of scholarships continues to grow. The Foundation is thrilled to annonce that in 2023, it awarded a record number of ten (10) $1,000 scholarships and two (2) $500 scholarships to deserving Berkshire County public high school students. These awards are made possible because of the tremendous support received from donors such as yourself.

 

While the annual golf tournament will continue to be a fund raising anchor for the Foundation, the goal in 2023 and beyond is to continue to significantly increase the number of scholarships, and monetary awards by further developing its fund raising activities. For example, fund raising initiatives in 2023 included a spaghetti dinner at the Italian American Club, in Pittsfield, MA, a Family Fun Day on June 17 at Baker's Golf -- Miniature Golf and Driving Range in Lanesborough, MA. The 2023 -- 7th Annual charity Golf tournament will be held at Miraval Berkshires in Lenox, MA on September 9, 2023. And we look forward to partnering with other business's and supporters to increase our fund raising efforts in the future. 

 

Going forward, the Foundation is also interested in planning an d initiating a variety of community projects such as lake and waterway clean-up projects at Onota and Pontoosuc Lakes as well as other environmental clean-up projects throughout Berkshire County to demonstrate our dedication to community service. The LBBMF is committed to increasing community involvement activities that support our core values of providing educational scholarships, supporting environmental clean initiatives and giving back to students and our community. 

​

​