What I would like for my birthday.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

What I would like for my birthday.

Today I am 26 and I am having a party at Barramundi to celebrate around 8pm and you should come. But in lieu of buying me a drink you should make a donation, however small, to the Andrew K. Dwyer Foundation in honor of my fiercely-missed-and-beloved pal. Just click “make a contribution” at the top of the website to do so. Below are some thoughts about Andrew and some information about his wonderful foundation.

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Andrew Dwyer had a big ole goofy grin that never left his face. Sometimes he giggled so much while he was speaking that it was impossible to understand his words. He considered ketchup a vegetable, could only be roused from sleep without a fight if he had an early tee time, and once got his hand stuck inside a candy machine because he refused to let go of the Snickers.

A few years after Andrew - and three of our classmates - passed away following an early morning car accident on Route 95, one of his older sisters got married. At the dinner they wanted to honor his memory. But how? The proverbial moment of silence would be all wrong. Andrew was never silent! He was bubbly, and bumbling, and loud. And so an entire wedding reception was asked to rise and remember Andrew in a manner far more appropriate: with a jubilant standing ovation.

The mission of the Andrew K. Dwyer Foundation is to deliver education and extra-curricular opportunities to disadvantaged children and teenagers and, most importantly, “to bring humor and laughter into their lives”. Since its inception, the Foundation has implemented these goals in a number of ways, including but certainly not limited to:

Funding the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Department of Pediatrics Spring Prom and Christmas parties for young patients.
An ongoing partnership with the Waterside School in Stamford, CT, including involvement with the Board of Directors and the establishment and continued oversight of a swimming program for students.
Ongoing funding of athletic teams at Bronx Prep Charter School and East Harlem School.
Donation of a new playground at the East Harlem School.
Scholarships for children at the Calvin Hill Day Care Center, Waterside School, and East Harlem School; and for college-bound teenagers involved in the First Tee of Connecticut program.

The importance of the Foundation not only to Andrew’s friends and family but also to the numerous initiatives it supports cannot be overstated. Having seen firsthand some of the beaming children touched by the Foundation, I am certain that Andrew’s happy spirit endures. Any donations, however small, will bring more of those big ole goofy grins and perpetuate Andrew’s legacy of generosity, kindness, and relentless cheer.

Consider it your own personal standing O.

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FOUNDATION WEBSITE: http://www.andrewkdwyer.com
CLICK: “Make a contribution” at the top of the screen to access the PayPal.

(Oh, and if anyone knows how to upload a PDF file somewhere, please let me know so I can post the latest Foundation Newsletter.)