IMG_0526.JPG
 
 
Donate
 
WHITENESS.jpg

THE MISSION

 
 

The Big Andrew Foundation is a non-profit watermen's collective and community empowerment network dedicated to inspiring individuals to lead a purposeful, healthy and active lifestyle through our relationship with the ocean and contributing waterways.

 
WALK_OUT_DARKERER_NOLOGO.jpg

ANDREW'S STORY

 

Following a year and a half battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, our friend Andrew Gmelch passed away on December 5, 2007, at the young age of 15. Andrew was an avid surfer, skateboarder, snowboarder, as well as loving brother and devoted son.
 
Always known as the one who could put a smile on someones face no matter what the situation, Andrew was an individual who lived with unforgettable character. Even at the height of his illness, his optimism and good heartedness remained at the core of his being. The effort in which Andrew expressed in activities ranging from extreme sports to his school studies, provides us with an extraordinary example of how living with passion means to live without regrets and fears. His quick wit and sense of humor also taught those of us who knew him how to live with a little humility, and to take life as it comes.