Nick Strong Foundation Spring – Summer 2025
This spring was an emotional one for the Nick Strong Foundation. As Nick’s classmates—and his brother, Jordan—graduated from high school, we felt a deep mix of pride and sorrow.
We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2025. Your strength, resilience, and unity over the past four years, despite the unimaginable loss of two classmates, have been nothing short of inspiring. At the same time, our hearts ache for Nick and all those who couldn’t be there to walk across the stage with their peers.
Thank you, Class of 2025, for keeping Nick’s memory alive and for honoring him and your classmates so beautifully. You’ve carried their legacy forward with love and grace
Community Events
Boston Marathon Fundraiser
This spring, Jen Gaspar and Jenn Pasquarosa took on their second Boston Marathon—running in memory of Nick and in honor of Gavin—on behalf of Boston Children’s Hospital. Their dedication, heart, and determination continue to inspire us all.
Once again, the St. Patrick’s Day-themed fundraiser was a sold-out success and a joyful celebration of community, resilience, and purpose. Thanks to the incredible support of friends, family, and donors, this year’s event raised $18,000 for Boston Children’s Hospital and the Nick Strong Foundation.
Thank you to everyone who joined the celebration and helped make this fundraiser such a success!
Cycle Strong
We’re thrilled to share that the Adirondack Club in Franklin hosted its second Cycle Strong event—and it was a huge success! Thanks to the energy and generosity of everyone involved, the event raised $3,500 in support of the Nick Strong Foundation.
A special thank you to Lisa Marchioni from ADK for organizing this powerful morning of cycling for a cause. Your dedication and heart continue to move our mission forward.
And to everyone who participated—thank you for showing up, sweating it out, and making a difference. It was a morning full of energy, community, and purpose!
Boston Marathon 2025
Running a marathon is tough—but it’s nothing compared to the pain of losing a child. That’s why we run for Boston Children’s Hospital.
We run to honor the children we’ve lost, to support the families still fighting, and to give back to the place that gave us hope when we needed it most.
What makes this journey even more powerful is being surrounded by a team of people who understand—who have walked a similar path and continue to turn their grief into action. Together, we run with purpose, with love, and with the belief that every step forward makes a difference.
Franklin HS Lacrosse & LaCantina
LaCantina Winery in Franklin recently hosted the Franklin High School Lacrosse families for a wonderful evening filled with delicious food, drinks, and community spirit.
We are incredibly grateful to the Vozella family, owners of LaCantina, for their generosity in donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to the Nick Strong Foundation.
Zero Gravity’s Coaches V Cancer Weekend
Each spring, Zero Gravity hosts its annual “Coaches vs. Cancer” basketball tournament—bringing athletes, coaches, and communities together in the fight against cancer.
This year, we were honored when Zero Gravity reached out to partner with the Nick Strong Foundation to help raise awareness for our mission. Through this collaboration, more families, athletes, and supporters learned about Nick’s story and the work we’re doing to support others in his memory.
Forever in our Hearts Night
The Franklin High School Lacrosse Team and coaches recently hosted a very special Forever in Our Hearts Night to honor the memory of Nick and fellow late classmate Anthony Gates.
The evening began with a moment of silence, followed by touching words and shared memories that beautifully captured the spirit, kindness, and impact of both boys. It was a powerful tribute filled with love, remembrance, and community support.
Thank you to the team, coaches, families, and all who joined in honoring Nick and Anthony. Their memory continues to live on in the hearts of so many.
Second Annual Nick Strong Golf Tournament
Another successful sold out golf tournament raised $26,000 for The Jackson Laboratory. We are honored to continue supporting the work of Dr. Ching Lau and his team of researchers. The funds raised from last year’s tournament helped make exciting progress possible. Driven by the positive results that the tournament helped achieve, Dr. Lau’s team submitted a new grant request to the Brain Tumor Funder’s Cooperative (BTFC) to expand his study with the goal to seek FDA approval as a clinical test using the expanded data.
The support of this year’s tournament will move his team closer to a crucial milestone, which will potentially improve the diagnosis process for thousands of patients facing brain cancer.
Nick Gaspar Award & Scholarship
Annually, with continued admiration and integrity the FHS lacrosse coaches present the Nick Gaspar Award to a varsity senior who consistently displays actions and spirit to the lacrosse program and to those around them. The coaching staff hand picks a varsity senior who is continuing their education beyond high school. The Nick Strong Foundation gives a scholarship to the recipient of this award.
These are a few words from Coach McCarthy, “ This year only one name was at the top nonstop; this player faced adversity this year and has shown continuous valor and strength. The coaching staff found this player to be extremely loyal and coachable. He displayed solid sportsmanship in every aspect of his game and was genuinely hard working throughout the entire season. A few words to describe this year’s recipient, which encompasses Nick’s legacy includes humility, courage, determination, resilience and perseverance. I am honored and it is my pleasure to present this year’s Nick Gaspar Award to Jordan Gaspar.”
Congratulations Jordan. This award was well deserved and we know Nick is so proud!
Upcoming Events:
Pan Mass
Tim Gaspar will take on his fourth Pan Mass Challenge with his teammates on August 2, 2025.
Riding for Nick – My 4th PMC Ride to Fight Cancer
Falmouth Road Race
Jen Gaspar and Steph Carroll will join Team Adelia the Wonder Girl for the Falmouth Road Race on August 17, 2025.
Click HERE for Jen’s Fundraising page
Click HERE for Steph’s Fundraising page
BAA Half Marathon
This will be our fourth year running in support of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and we want you on our team!
If you’ve ever thought about running a half marathon, now is the perfect time to take that leap. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a first-timer, Team Nick Strong is all about support, fun, and purpose. You’ll train, laugh, and cross the finish line with an incredible group of people—all while raising funds for a life-saving cause.
https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/TR?fr_id=2490&pg=team&team_id=32813
Nick Strong Podcast
Board members Matt Medeiros and Jen Gaspar are in the early stages of creating a podcast series featuring conversations with influential voices in the medical and research community. These guests will share powerful insights on the impact of foundations like Nick Strong and the critical role they play in advancing care, research, and hope. We can’t wait to share these inspiring stories with you.
Stay tuned—episodes coming soon!
Our Mission in Action:
This spring, The Nick Strong Foundation has proudly provided financial assistance to eleven families facing pediatric cancer. In addition, we’ve made contributions to support the incredible work being done at Boston Children’s Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Jimmy Fund, and other leading pediatric cancer research initiatives.
Thank you to our supporters for making this possible — together, we are making a difference.
