Remembering the life of Wellesley’s Olivia Wigon through LivOn22

LivOn22 is a new virtual fundraising event created by the family and friends of Wellesley’s Olivia Wigon to honor her life and raise money for organizations which reflect how she lived. The event will be held on July 18th, which would have been Olivia’s 22 birthday, and in order to participate all you need to do is to get physically active in some way. 

The recommended distance is 5k, but however far you want to go is really up to you; the point is to move in a way that brings you joy. 

On the day of the event, print out the LivOn22 bib to wear during your running, swimming, walking, or whatever other form of exercise you so desire, and post a photo with #LivOn22 on social media. As well as exercising, the LivOn22 team is asking for help fundraising. The goal is to raise $22,000, which will be split evenly between The Island School and The JED Foundation. These organizations were chosen to reflect Olivia’s passion for marine science, and to help support suicide prevention. The suggested donation minimum is $22, but the LivOn22 team encourages participants to try to raise even more. 

Olivia had a strong desire to boost ocean life across the world. She had the opportunity to put this into action when she attended The Island School on Cape Eleuthera in the Bahamas where she was able to meet like minded people and further develop her interests. Olivia was able to bring what she had learned at The Island School with her to other communities, and continued her passion for changing the world at The University of Miami, where she was a double major in Marine Affairs and Human and Social Development and worked as an intern with the UMiami Shark Research & Conservation Program.

Despite losing her battle with mental health, the ripples which Olivia created in her life are still benefiting the world and driving attention towards the issues she was dedicated to combating. Through your participation in the LivOn22 challenge, Olivia—a wonderful sister, daughter, friend, and agent of change—will be remembered and inspire continued change for good.