PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Liann Bordeau-Buck Memorial Foundation will be raising money for its scholarship fund with a golf tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Miraval Berkshires Resort in Lenox. 

 

The foundation has been holding this event since its establishment seven years ago in honor of Liann Bordeau-Buck, who died following complications from a Cesarean section following the birth of her only child. 

 

Since its creation, the organization has been raising and donating funds to help students at Bordeau-Buck's alma mater, Taconic High School, obtain their educational goals, acting foundation President Jessica Autenrieth said. 

 

There will be two golf flights this year: one at 8 a.m. and another at 11:30 a.m. The event features lunch, raffles, and ice cream sold by Krispy Cones. 

 

Tickets for this event are $125 per person and include 18 holes and a cart, and lunch and awards.

Registration for the event is required and can be done here. 

 

Bordeau-Buck was very friendly and had a contagious laugh, Autenrieth said. The golf tournament keeps her personality alive, she said. 

 

"A lot of friends and family come together for this event. Her personality comes out because everyone's laughing, everyone's there to have a good time and it's all in fun. That's what she liked to do. She liked to have fun," Autenrieth said. 

 

Haddad Motors is sponsoring a hole with a chance to win a car and Berkshire Money Management is sponsoring a hole in one.

 

"I think that overall it's a lot of businesses coming together. A lot of family and friends are coming together for this event," Autenrieth said. 

 

"And I've seen just in the past few weeks, especially with me reaching out, that people are very happy within the community to reach out and help for initiatives like this."

 

Knowledge of the foundation and its mission has grown over the years along with its fundraising efforts. 

 

The event has grown so much that it had to move the tournament to Miraval Berkshires Resort, the former Cranwell resort. It previously took place at the General Electric Athletic Association in Pittsfield. 

 

Last year, the event brought in approximately 20 teams raising about $17,000 for the scholarship fund. This year it hopes to have 40 teams with a goal to raise between $20,000 to $30,000. 

 

The funds raised last year allowed the organization to distribute a dozen scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 to Taconic students. 

 

With the growth of the foundation, this year it is expanding its scholarship criteria to provide all Berkshire County public high school students the opportunity to apply. 

 

Bordeau-Buck's mother, Donna Scherben Bordeau, created the foundation in honor of her daughter's love of education.

 

She was passionate about education, particularly science education, and wanted to "soak up everything," Autenrieth said, and loved the ocean so much that she earned a bachelor's degree in biology and marine science.

 

In the future the foundation would like to do some waterway cleanup projects to keep Bordeau-Buck's legacy and passion alive, she said.