Livvy’s Light & Legacy: Carrying Olivia’s Light Forward in Binghamton

Olivia “Livvy” Marie Hill. Photo provided by Livvy’s Light & Legacy.

A Community Gathering With a Purpose

The September 26 memorial benefit brought the community together around the work of the Olivia Marie Hill Foundation, also known as Livvy’s Light & Legacy. The annual event helps support a mission that reaches across many of the interests that made Livvy who she was: education, athletics, STEM, music, art, compassion for others and animal welfare.

According to the event organizers, the third annual benefit was held at the Airport Inn on Airport Road in Binghamton. More than a fundraiser, it was another opportunity for the people whose lives have been touched by Livvy’s story to gather, remember and help turn that memory into opportunities for others.

Who Was Livvy?

Olivia Marie Hill was born December 16, 2010, and was preparing to enter seventh grade at Johnson City Middle School when she died on August 27, 2023. The foundation remembers her as a high-honors student with an unusually broad range of interests—math, science, computer science, creative writing, visual art, music and athletics.

Livvy played for the Johnson City Girls Youth Lacrosse League for three years. She played piano and flute, wrote songs, created art and stories, and was selected to participate in Girls Who Code at Binghamton University.

Just as important to the people who knew her was the way she treated others. Her foundation describes a young person who valued empathy, stood up for people who felt overlooked, and encouraged others to be comfortable being themselves.

Turning Livvy’s Interests Into Opportunity

The Olivia Marie Hill Foundation was created to make Livvy’s legacy active—not simply remembered. Its work provides economic support and opportunities for young people while also helping families navigating medical challenges related to Chiari Malformation, Syringomyelia and related conditions.

The mission of Livvy’s Light & Legacy. Graphic provided by the Olivia Marie Hill Foundation.

Livvy’s Connection to Girls Who Code at Binghamton University

One of the clearest examples of Livvy’s interests continuing forward is her connection to Binghamton University’s Girls Who Code program.

The Binghamton chapter is a free program serving high-school students in the Broome County area. Binghamton University students provide coding instruction, mentorship and a supportive environment intended to help more young women see themselves belonging in technology and engineering.

That makes Livvy’s participation especially meaningful. Her interest in mathematics, science and computer science was not separate from the rest of who she was—it existed alongside music, art, writing, athletics and friendship. Girls Who Code gave her another place to explore that curiosity.

For families or students interested in the program, the current Binghamton University Girls Who Code listing includes the chapter’s leadership and faculty advisor information.

Why This Story Belongs in the Running Community

At Confluence Running, we spend a lot of time talking about movement—training, racing, getting outside and helping people find ways to stay active. But the communities around those miles are what give them meaning.

Livvy’s story intersects with that community through youth sports, teamwork and the simple idea that confidence grows when young people are given places where they can belong. A lacrosse field, a coding classroom, a music room or an art table can all become those places.

The September 26 gathering was a reminder that community is built the same way: people showing up, contributing what they can and helping create the next opportunity for someone else.

Carrying Livvy’s light forward. Photo provided by Livvy’s Light & Legacy.

Carrying the Light Forward

A memorial benefit looks backward and forward at the same time. It creates space to remember a person who should still be here, while also asking what can be built in her name.

For Livvy’s Light & Legacy, the answer is showing up in scholarships, youth opportunities, family support, STEM, sports, music, the arts and acts of kindness. It is the kind of legacy measured not only in dollars raised, but in young people who get the chance to discover what they love and believe that they belong there.

That is a fitting way to keep Livvy’s own words moving through the community:

Media used in this story was provided to Confluence Running by Livvy’s Light & Legacy / the Olivia Marie Hill Foundation. Community organizations wishing to share an upcoming event or story with Confluence Running can contact our team.