Chris Drake was a larger than life; Law and behavioral science student, successful athlete, surfer and all round waterman. On the 16th March 2013, Chris was tragically killed as a result of selflessly assisting others to safety when an unexpected series of large waves engulfed a local northern beaches swimming pool. He died as he lived with others as a priority and helping people foremost in his concerns.


Since the incident, the Drake family have been overwhelmed with support from people in the community and as a way of repaying the support they believe Chris’ memory and name should live on and he should continue to help people not only in the local community but around the world.

The Smile like Drake foundation has been created to cover the following topics:

  • Advancement of education
  • Purposes beneficial to the community
  • Charitable purposes

The foundation is a not for profit organisation set on raising money to achieve its own goals and core values in helping the community.

The Inaugural ‘Smile like Drake’ gala event was held over the weekend in Sydney at Doltone House.
The event was a huge success with hundreds attending to show their support for Chris and the Drake family and to continue their son’s highly respected legacy. Thousands of dollars were raised on the night which will be a great help in building awareness in Australia and around the world for water safety.

Donations from numerous businesses around Sydney and the world including a signed Manchester City jersey, and England goal keeper Joe Hart as well as a 30minute red bull acrobatic flight, were just a few of the popular items up for grabs. The auction created a lot of buzz and hype in the room with a lot of back and fourth bidding going on. In the end, it was all for a good cause and it raised money for something the Drake family will now use to educate people around Australia and the world.

If you want to make a donation or see what the foundation is all about please visit the foundations website www.smilelikedrake.org


Written by:
Ben Horvath

Don't forget to share this post!