Colin’s Story
Colin Gilmartin was just 23 years old when his life was tragically cut short.
He had recently earned his master’s degree in accounting and was preparing to begin his first full-time position with an accounting firm in November 2021. His future was filled with promise.
But Colin was so much more than his accomplishments. He was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, boyfriend and friend. He was smart, incredibly funny and deeply empathetic toward people in need. Colin and his sister Casey shared an especially close bond and were the best of friends.
During a weekend visit to his alma mater, SUNY Binghamton, Colin was unknowingly exposed to fentanyl after a friend purchased what was believed to be cocaine. The substance was actually heroin laced with fentanyl. Colin died immediately.
His family was left with an unimaginable loss—and a determination to make sure Colin’s life, compassion and memory would continue to make a difference.
Creating Something Meaningful in Colin’s Name
The Colin Gilmartin Foundation was established in 2022 with a mission rooted in remembrance, education and giving back.
The Foundation works to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and drug use, particularly the reality that an illicit substance may contain fentanyl without the person taking it knowing.
Their message is direct and critically important:
One time can be one time too many.
Beyond awareness and prevention, the Foundation carries forward Colin’s natural compassion for others by supporting people and organizations throughout the community.
Each year, scholarships are awarded through the family’s local high school. The Foundation has also supported local organizations including St. Patrick’s Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul and the Life Center of Long Island, as well as families experiencing devastating losses of their own.
The Foundation’s first Topgolf fundraising event in 2023 resulted in a substantial donation to Natural High, an organization focused on drug prevention and helping young people develop the skills and positive influences needed to thrive.
Over the years, the Foundation has also supported organizations including Tunnel to Towers, LiveOnNY and Truth Pharm, among many others.
A Donating Partner of The Giving Table
The Colin Gilmartin Foundation’s relationship with The Giving Table represents exactly what our Donating Partner program is intended to accomplish: bringing together organizations that believe community awareness, collaboration and giving can create meaningful change.
Through its support and active promotion of The Giving Table and our mission, the Foundation is helping us reach more people while we, in turn, have the opportunity to introduce more of our restaurant partners, diners and community members to Colin’s story and the Foundation’s lifesaving message.
This partnership is about more than two organizations supporting one another.
It is about using our collective voices to create awareness, encourage conversations and potentially save lives.
Colin’s family established the Foundation so that the young man they loved—and the compassion that defined him—would never be forgotten.
We are honored to give The Colin Gilmartin Foundation a seat at The Giving Table and help carry Colin’s story forward.
Together, we can turn awareness into action, giving into impact, and one young man’s memory into an opportunity to protect another family from experiencing the same unimaginable loss.