TJ Martell Foundation

Hi everyone. My name is Elijah Leano, and I am the founder of the Move for Martell, a charity that has been directly raising money for the TJ Martell Foundation since 2021.

You can check out and follow the instagram here or @move_for_martell

*All donations go directly to the TJ Martell Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and are 100% tax deductible*

Why the TJ Martell Foundation? TJ Martell was the son of Tony Martell, a longtime record executive who helped produce albums for everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Benson to the Isley Brothers and even Ozzy Osbourne. When TJ was in high school, he was diagnosed with leukemia and unfortunately passed away when he was only 21 years old. Shortly thereafter, Tony Martell started the TJ Martell Foundation in his son's honor to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. For over the past 40 years, the foundation has raised millions of dollars for this cause, and I am happy to be part of their efforts.

What makes the TJ Martell Foundation relevant to me, other than my love for all things music, is because my paternal grandfather who I knew as "Lolo" was also diagnosed with leukemia, and passed away when I was younger. Growing up, I saw Lolo as this huge figure who ended up being my hero, so I started this charity to honor his memory and to help fight this horrible disease.

Since 2021, I have hosted the annual Move for Martell event, where my family, friends and I have participated in a walk/skate/bike/move-a-thon to help raise awareness and funds that go directly to the TJ Martell Foundation. The first event in 2021 was at the Village Green on Key Biscayne, and the 2022, 2023 and 2024 events have since been held at the William Kerdyk Park in Coral Gables. For the 5th year, I’m very excited to announce that I will be hosting the Martell Music Fest as a celebration of these past 5 years as a “last hurrah”. The Martell Music Fest will take place on August 3, 2025 at Pub 52 (5829 SW 73rd Street, South Miami, FL), and will feature local south Florida bands, in addition to other exciting events and activities to directly benefit the TJ Martell Foundation. To date, we have confirmed the musical band appearance of south Florida favorite Nothing Wrong With Wet Socks, who will be hot off a summer tour, and I anticipate being joined by the School of Rock house band for Coral Gables, of which I was a member for 4 years.

I am looking forward to this great event of music, food and fun. I can attest to the fact that Pub 52 is a wonderful restaurant and venue, having played there several times in the past. This will be a "can't miss" concert event for a great cause!

To date, I have raised over $4,000 which has gone directly to the TJ Martell Foundation. I was also honored to have the Miami Herald interview me last year about the Move for Martell and what inspired me to start it, and how I hope to inspire others to find a way to serve their community. The Miami Herald link is available here or you can visit the Move for Martell instagram profile for the article link and for posts and videos about all the events dating back to 2021. Please feel free to follow here for more information.

Just remember - every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact. Even just a few dollars can help move this mission forward and reach those who need it most.

If you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is also incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It means the world to me.

Hope to see you all on August 3--

Elijah Leano

Founder, Move for Martell