It is Hope That Anchors the Soul
Liam’s Anchor was started in 2019 by the Cunningham family in honor and memory of their beloved son, Liam. Liam Cunningham was brought into this world in 1989. Liam was a delightful baby and toddler with an engaging personality and an amazing vocabulary at an early age. He grew up to be a promising young man with lots of dreams and plans. Sadly, on September 27, 2016, at the age of 27, Liam lost his life to a drug overdose.
Liam was a sensitive and kind soul who was passionate about the disadvantaged, the homeless, children, and anything to do with the New England Patriots! He was a gifted writer, graduating with a Journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 2011. He loved fishing and being on the ocean. He loved Wellfleet, his birthday, and the 4th of July.
Before his life was derailed by drugs, Liam worked for many non-profit organizations. Giving back to others was something that was part of who he was. One of his most rewarding jobs was writing for Spare Change News, an organization with the mission “[t]o present, by [their] own example, that homeless and economically disadvantaged people, with the proper resources, empowerment, opportunity, and encouragement are capable of creating change for [themselves] in society.” He started writing for them as a community service project in middle school and continued through and beyond college. The homeless vendors would sell the papers and keep the proceeds from their sales, giving them a way to make some money.
His first job out of college was for Cradles to Crayons, another non-profit that helps to supply disadvantaged families with clothing and goods that they otherwise could not afford. He then worked for a number of years for Good Sports, which provides sporting goods for children to communities in need all across the country. Finally, after a period of sobriety, he got a job at the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton. He seemed to be getting his life back together.
How Liam’s Anchor Was Born
In 2014, Liam and his friend, Mark Franks, started a small apparel company using an anchor Liam created and patented with hooks in the shape of Cape Cod. Liam’s dream was to have his own apparel company one day featuring his Cape anchor.
His parents Sue and Phil along with his sister Katie and Liam’s girlfriend, Sara, decided to make that dream happen. They started Liam’s Anchor to honor his spirit and carry on his legacy of helping others.
They started with baseball hats and car decals with Liam’s anchor in purple, the color of addiction awareness and recovery. They began selling them to their friends and family and through different local events. Wanting to make an even greater impact, they reached out to partner with the Herren Project. to reach as many people as possible and create a legacy fund in Liam’s honor to help others affected by addiction.
They have sold hundreds of hats and other items donning “Liam’s Anchor.” The net proceeds of all sales are donated to Herren Project in order to support our mission of education, outreach, advocacy and treatment for addiction and recovery. Buy your baseball cap and keep Liam’s legacy alive and help those affected by addiction.
