The Drew King Legacy Fund

Drew King was an extraordinary man with a great heart and mind who cultivated an excess of love as he moved through the world and offered it to those he encountered along the way. He dedicated himself to helping others and making a difference, and although his light succumbed to cancer on Valentine’s Day 2016, his family and friends remain committed to keeping his loving and generous spirit alive through the Drew King Legacy Fund. The legacy fund will be distributed as a scholarship on his birthday each year, January 13th. Please see below or follow the link to the right for more information on this scholarship. 

Drew’s Story

Drew spent most of his early life in Gainesville, Florida, and while his childhood wasn’t easy, he was fortunate to grow up in a family of strong women. His mother loved her children fiercely and worked tirelessly to single-handedly raise and support her three children. Despite limited resources, Drew’s mother still managed to open her heart and home to friends, neighbors, and even exchange students.

Drew was a survivor of childhood abuse and as a boy and a teenager he struggled with the resulting anger and pain. In high school, Drew made a conscious decision that he did not want to continue that cycle of harm. He began to study the works of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thich Nhat Hanh. Over time, these great men became more than just his heroes. They became his personal guides. And they forever changed his path – redirecting his thoughts and actions toward a life that reflected what he wanted to see in the world.

Drew attended college at the University of Florida and began what would be a life-long career in public service by working with youth offenders and teen mothers, while also becoming an outspoken LGBT-rights activist. In fact, he was such an eloquent and effective advocate that the local KKK called him “Drewcifer” due to his persistence in speaking out against their hateful agenda despite threats and armed intimidation.

Drew moved to the Bay Area and later described arriving in Berkeley as feeling like coming home. He continued to pursue a life of good works, both personally and professionally, including working with homeless people and people living with AIDS. Helping homeless people find hope and housing became a passion and focus of his work for many years.

Drew’s compassion for others also extended to animals. He volunteered on conservation projects for endangered species, like sea turtles in Florida and giant kangaroo rats in California, and personally adopted many shelter animals over the years, including ones with physical impairments and behavioral issues that made them difficult to place.

Everything Drew did, he did with a loving intention and in a spirit of peace – from the food he ate and the money he spent, to the work he pursued and the causes he cared about. He dedicated his life to making the world a better place for the vulnerable, the underprivileged, and the disenfranchised, and in the process he impacted countless lives including many who never knew him but benefitted from his actions nonetheless.

Drew was a true believer in peaceful activism, and a caring advocate for animals, children, civil rights, environmental causes, the homeless, women, queer people, and those trying to make a positive difference in the world. Even though he didn’t impose his beliefs on others, he did lead by example and inspire others with his love and light.

Through the Drew King Legacy Scholarship, we hope to keep Drew’s spirit alive by encouraging and assisting those who continue the work of pursuing social activism, community service and creating positive change. While we certainly want to receive applications from those working with issues and causes Drew specifically supported, we are open to other requests that epitomize Drew’s passion for supporting those who are most in need.

Drew King Legacy Fund Scholarship

Scholarship Deadline: November 1st.

Scholarship Amount: $1,000.00

In order to be eligible for this scholarship, you must:

• Be a currently enrolled student or accepted into a college in Northern California, Central Florida or Northeast Florida (proof of acceptance/attendance must be submitted with the application).

OR

• Be a resident of Northern California, Central Florida or Northeast Florida attending college elsewhere (proof of residency must be submitted with the application).

AND

• Have been involved for at least one year in social activism, community service and/or creating positive change in a way true to Drew’s spirit. Please read Drew’s Legacy fund page for more information.
• Be planning a career in social activism, community service and/or creating positive change.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Drew King’s life and spirit in the essay question.
• While we certainly want to receive applications from those working with issues and causes Drew specifically supported, we are open to other requests that epitomize Drew’s passion for supporting those most in need.

Scholarship Application

Previous Scholarship Recipients

Fund Administrators

• Rachel Endicott

Donations

CharitySmith accepts donations in two ways:

The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.

For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.