3-Year-Old's Desire To Help Sick Kids Raises $800 In Brick

BRICK, NJ — Christian Bococinski may not have spent a lot of time on this earth yet, but the youngster from Toms River has already learned what most consider one of the most important lessons in life: helping others.

Christian, a 3-year-old from Toms River, just raised $800 to help a Brick Township boy, Liam Marino, who has been battling cancer.

"One day we were driving from my mom’s house and he saw kids selling lemonade on a street corner," Christian's father, Rich, said. "He said he wanted to do that (set up a lemonade stand) and I just replied sure we can do it. Once we got home, he told my wife, Diana, that he wanted to do a lemonade stand, and my wife asked what was he going to buy with the money.

"He replied, 'Give the money to sick kids.' We were both taken aback and asked him to repeat it just to make sure we heard him right," Rich said.

Christian then asked his grandmother, Helen Bococinski, if he could sell the lemonade in front of the Jersey Farms on Lanes Mill Road, where she is the manager. "She was totally all in from there," Rich said.

From there, Rich said, they began searching for a charity or someone to assist.

"My mom called schools seeing if they could help," he said, and then "I remembered the article in The Patch about Liam and a fundraiser that the BTSA (Brick Town Soccer Association) did for him." Through mutual friends, he said, they were able to connect with the Marinos and let them know what Christian was planning to do.

As word got out about what Christian wanted to do, "it turned into a movement," Rich said.

"My wife made dozens and dozens of cupcakes to sell with the lemonade and iced tea, a family friend donated cookies to sell. Friends and family who we haven’t seen in years traveled hours to come show their support," Rich said. "Local friends and family came out to help. People who couldn’t make it or lived out of state started to donate through PayPal. The customers of Jersey Farms were just awesome, not hesitating to donate. It just turned out to be a wonderful weekend and showed what the power of social media can do."

"He’s already talking about selling hot chocolate in a few months," Rich said.

Christian and his family presented the donations to Liam and his parents Thursday. On Facebook, Vinnie Marino said the money was then donated in the name of Team Liam for the 2016 Parkway Run/Walk benefiting pediatric cancer research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Liam has received treatment. That run is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 25.

Liam, now 10, who was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in July 2014, had a clear MRI in July, showing no evidence of the tumor. He continues to be monitored but has returned the soccer field, playing with the BTSA Warriors.

Liam and his family joined the Bococinskis outside Jersey Farms while Christian was running the Lemonade 4 Team Liam stand.

Liam Marino and Christian Bococinski, courtesy of Rich Bococinski