Andrew McMorris Foundation is Honored to Be Promise of Hope’s Honoree for 2026

Each year, the Promise of Hope Foundation honors individuals and families who have endured unimaginable tragedy and found a way to turn their pain into purpose. This year, we were deeply humbled to be among those honored at the Foundation’s 8th Annual Gala.

Our connection to the Promise of Hope began during the darkest days of our lives.

In the Fall of  2018, when our 12-year-old son and brother, Andrew, was killed by a drunk driver, our family was suddenly faced with the unimaginable. Amid the shock and overwhelming grief, Promise of Hope quietly stepped in and covered the financial burden of Andrew’s funeral and final arrangements. Their generosity allowed us to focus on what mattered most, grieving our son, surrounding our daughter and one another with love, and honoring Andrew with the dignity he deserved.

We did not know it at the time, but Andrew was the first child whose funeral expenses Promise of Hope covered during the organization’s first year. His story became part of their story as their mission grew to provide financial assistance, compassion, and hope to families experiencing profound loss. Eight years later, that story came full circle.

At the Promise of Hope Foundation’s 8th Annual Gala, Alisa, John, and Arianna McMorris were honored for carrying Andrew’s memory forward and turning profound loss into a mission of education, advocacy, scholarships, grants, and the prevention of drunk, drugged, and impaired driving through the Andrew McMorris Foundation.

Then came an extraordinary surprise.

Promise of Hope presented the Andrew McMorris Foundation with a $45,000 gift to support our mission and help us continue the work being done in Andrew’s name. We were overwhelmed, not only by the tremendous generosity of the gift, but by everything it represented.

Eight years ago, Promise of Hope helped us bury our son with dignity. Today, they are helping us carry his legacy forward. There is something incredibly powerful about that full-circle moment.

What began with one organization reaching out to a grieving family has grown into two foundations connected by a shared belief: that even in the wake of unimaginable loss, compassion can create hope and purpose can create change.

To everyone at the Promise of Hope Foundation, thank you for standing beside our family then and for continuing to stand beside us today. Thank you for believing in Andrew’s legacy and investing so generously in the work being done in his name.

Eight years ago, you gave our family comfort when we desperately needed it.

Today, you are helping us give hope to others.

And through both, you have given us exactly what your name promises:

Hope.