We are asking for donations towards a memorial bench to honor our friends and sisters Abby Anderson and Gabe (Anderson) Grunewald. Any funds raised in excess will be contributed directly to the Brave Like Gabe foundation. The bench will be placed at the University of Minnesota athletic facilities (exact location TBD), where Abby and Gabe competed as Cross Country and Track athletes.
 

Abby's artwork titled "Metamorphosis" will be a centerpiece of the bench design (pictured above). This piece signifies turning towards hope and seeking the light even when we are surrounded in darkness and uncertainty. After losing her best friend and sister, Abby found solace in creating and expressing her grief through many different artistic channels - writing, drawing, painting, and music - and sharing Gabe's legacy of hope and advocacy of rare cancer research through the Brave Like Gabe foundation.

Gabe was Abby's north star and a major source of inspiration in her creative pursuits. We hope that this magnificent artwork paired with this quote from an instagram post by Abby will bring about more opportunities to inspire and share the wisdom and legacy of hope and joy that Gabe and Abby emulated.

 

Our goal is to have the bench installed prior to the Big Ten Track Meet this upcoming May or Brave Like Gabe 5K this upcoming June - dependent on the completion timing - more updates to follow. Thank you for considering a donation to make this memorial possible.

 

For more information about Gabe and Abby's stories, visit these links:

Brave Like Gabe Website
Sports Illustrated Article 
Womens Running Article 

Courage to Run Documentary 
Brooks Documentary 
Abbys story