16-year-old Colin McAskin is honoring his late uncle by fundraising for the Jamie Daniels Foundation through AJGA’s Leadership Links.
By Stacey Winconek
During the Fourth of July weekend at his family’s cottage in Canada, 16-year-old Colin McAskin from New York City went live on Instagram, asking followers to guess how many of 25 floating golf balls he could hit off the family’s dock onto a platform in the lake 30 yards away. While it might sound like a social media stunt, this chipping challenge is one of the creative ways Colin is raising funds for the Jamie Daniels Foundation in honor of his late uncle, Jonathan “JJ” Warner, who lost his battle to substance use disorder at age 38.
The tragic event, which occurred in July 2022, prompted Colin’s parents, Matthew and Julie McAskin, to honor Julie’s brother’s memory with a donation to the Jamie Daniels Foundation that same year.
Colin, who shared a close bond with JJ, has carried on that support in his own way — and hopes to raise up to $10,000 for the Jamie Daniels Foundation by August 2025. Colin, who is entering his sophomore year at Blair Academy in New Jersey this fall, spends his summers traveling to play in regional and national golf tournaments — and he’s using those opportunities to raise awareness and encourage donations for the Jamie Daniels Foundation through the American Junior Golf Association’s (AJGA) Leadership Links program.
He’s also gotten creative with his fundraising. If someone challenges Colin that he can’t make a certain shot, Colin takes the challenge — and when he proves them wrong, he shares a QR code on his bag tag for donations. He also uses Instagram Live, like he did over the holiday weekend, to engage his family, friends, and followers and promote giving. Colin even plans to launch birdie challenges: for every birdie he makes, supporters can pledge $1 or $5.
Golf became a shared passion between Colin and JJ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being in New York City when COVID hit was an awful time. The one thing we tried to do to get fresh air and get outside was to start playing more golf,” says Matthew, a Birmingham, Michigan native and longtime golfer.
During that same time, JJ — who was living in Ann Arbor, Michigan — was struggling, so he moved in with the McAskin family at their home in New York. The change of scenery brought some relief and helped forge a strong bond between uncle and nephew. JJ acted like an older brother, helping manage Colin’s busy tournament schedule.
“I played a bit of golf with him. He really loved the game, even when he was pretty erratic off the tee,” Colin says, “but he would take me to tournaments. He drove me down to a tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina, two months before I had my World Championships for golf — my biggest tournament of the year. He took me down early to see the course and scout it out before I played. It was a nice 10-hour road trip each way. We always had a lot of time to bond and talk in the car and listen to music.”
Although their quality time together on those road trips ended with JJ’s passing, his memory lives on.
JJ was one of Colin’s biggest fans. And while Colin wishes his uncle were still here, he’s honoring that bond in the most meaningful way — by helping to ensure that another life is not lost to substance use disorder.
