Remembering Gabriel Cuevas

I have known Gabriel since he was in 8th grade, because he has been a very active member of my youth program, Aaron's Presents, since then, and I am as stunned and heartbroken as all of you are to find out that he died yesterday, Friday, August 7, 2020 in a drowning accident. There are no words to express how devastating this loss is--Gabe was the kindest soul you will ever meet. His bright smile lit up a room instantly, and his quiet, humble, funny, sharp, quick-witted, compassionate, generous self was a welcome presence on any project or outing. It was impossible not to like Gabriel and be happier just by being around him. The very reason I know him at all is because he always wanted to help other people and especially loved helping animals. That's who Gabe was, and he will inspire me for the rest of my life. Over the years, he learned to embrace and love and express himself with truth and lack of judgment, and by doing so, he helped his friends and others be able to do that too. I feel blessed to have just seen him on Thursday, because we were working on a scholarship application and needed a photo together. That turned out to be a gift to me. He had so much passion and many different interests and hopes and dreams for the future... The world is poorer without him in it. 

For anyone who would like to honor Gabriel and help his family, please consider
1) donating to this page to help his mom, Carmen Sanchez, pay for funeral/burial and other expenses that result from this immense loss, and
2) sharing your stories and memories of him in your comments so that his family can hear about how he impacted and touched so many lives, just by being the beautiful person he was.