Author: j.schifferle

In 100 Holes of Golf, participants start at around 5:20 a.m. and finish at approximately 9:00 p.m. For all 100 holes, they walk each step of the way.

The inspiration for the event was born back in 1995.

“When I was a teenager in the United Kingdom, I was 16, and a friend of mine and I did a similar thing at our golf club at home. I just remember having such a great day.”

So, two decades later, Simon wanted to experience another all-day golf event, now as an adult in Buffalo. That first year, there were three participants, all members of Wanakah Country Club, and they decided to raise money while taking part in their sun-up to sun-down day on the course.

“With Roswell Park being such a big part of the Buffalo community and so many people we know who are either a patient there or know somebody who’s been a patient there, starting a golf fundraiser was a reasonably easy choice to make.”

Lindsay’s Legacy 5K Run has been a staple in the Buffalo running community since its inception in 2005. For Bonnie and Frank, however, the event went beyond the miles logged and time spent planning. It was their way of honoring and remembering their daughter, Lindsay Rochelle MacIver, while raising funds for the Courage of Carly Fund. The 5K race helps give children with cancer and blood disorders the fighting chance they deserve.

In 2002, Lindsay, 19-years-old at the time, was diagnosed with stage IV alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue sarcoma characterized by tumors that develop from muscle or fibrous tissue. She received the devastating diagnosis shortly after her high school graduation.

“The world changes as soon as you hear the word cancer. It’s a line we never thought we’d cross over. It’s always something we hear about, but it’s never us,” Bonnie said. Until it is.

Lindsay’s cancer was exceptionally rare and typically affects children between the ages of two and six years old. Despite being nineteen, Lindsay’s cancer was classified as pediatric. She valiantly fought through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for two-and-a-half years with frequent visits to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sadly, at the young age of 21, Lindsay passed away.

Shortly after her passing, Frank shared this message on CaringBridge, a blog for patients and caregivers: “No matter how it looms before you, experiencing the death of a child remains a painful passage to be followed by a slow process of healing. Bonnie and I, along with Lindsay’s entire family and friends, have begun our journeys to recovery. We do this together with you and privately as individuals.”