In memory of Mark “Ski” Gajewski — still helping, one family at a time.
Ski’s Open Heart Foundation gives direct help to 9/11 responders and their families, and runs an annual toy and food drive for kids on Long Island. We’re a small, family-run foundation — not a big charity with a staff and a calendar full of events. Just relatives and friends keeping Mark’s promise to help people when they need it.
A family foundation
Ski’s Open Heart Foundation was started in 2012 by Mark “Ski” Gajewski’s widow, Debra, and his two children, Crystal and Sean, after Mark died of a 9/11-related cancer. We’re a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we’re still run by the same family today.
What we do now
We do two things: help 9/11 responders and their families, and run an annual toy and food drive for kids on Long Island.
Need help?
If you worked or volunteered at Ground Zero, or you’re a family member of someone who did, you may be eligible for direct assistance.
The Annual Toy & Food Drive
Every year we collect unwrapped toys, gift cards, and food for kids and families on Long Island — a tradition Mark started years before the foundation existed.
The man behind the name
Mark “Ski” Gajewski was a Marine, a welder, and a biker who drove his own tractor trailer and tools to Ground Zero and stayed until the last day of clean-up — 2,900 hours in all. He died of 9/11-related lung cancer on December 17, 2011. His daughter Crystal wrote his story in her own words.
Give
Every dollar goes to one of two things: direct help for responders and their families, or the annual toy and food drive. Donations are tax-deductible. Ski’s Open Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3), EIN 45-4596482.
