“Christopher James Drake was an inspiration to all those who knew him and left everyone and everything just a little better than he found them.”
Chris was tragically killed and swept out to sea at the North Curl Curl Ocean side pool in Sydney on 16.3.13. He was a 23 year-old Law & Behavioral Science student and a successful athlete, surfer and waterman who had a special effect on most people he met. He died as a result of selflessly assisting others to safety when the first of a series of waves unexpectedly engulfed the pool. In doing so he made himself vulnerable to the later waves and died as he had lived, with others as his first priority, and helping people foremost in his concerns.
The Drake Family has been incredibly moved by all those who have offered to make donations of time and money in Chris’ memory. There is clearly a widespread and deep sentiment that his memorial should be a living one and something that reflects the extraordinary person he was.
Given the need to capture Chris’ spirit in the right way and ensure that any initiative has the right impact, we are currently developing the SMILE LIKE DRAKE Foundation in his name. Our desire has been to create an appropriate initiative that will allow Chris’s life to truly be a catalyst to bring benefit to others. After careful consideration we believe we have found the right premise on which to base the work in his name. The Smile Like Drake Foundation will:
Provide Water Safety on Australian Beaches and Waterways
1. Developing and promoting practical protocols, products and holistic solutions
2. Carrying out research
3. Delivering Educational programs and policies
3. Building practical consensus among relevant stakeholders
We are looking forward to announcing our current initiatives and partners through a press release in October 2017