MANORVILLE, NY— One year after Andrew McMorris, 12, died after he and fellow Boy Scouts were struck by an alleged drunk driver while out on a hike in Manorville on Sept. 30, 2018, the many who love him will come together to walk together in unity — finishing the hike that ended so tragically.
Exactly one year later, on Sept. 30, 2019, Boy Scout Troop 161 and Suffolk County Council are inviting Scouters, family and friends to join together to complete the fateful hike and celebrate Andrew’s beautiful life and legacy.
Thomas Murphy, 59, of Holbrook, was charged in the fatal crash and arraigned in October on a 16-count indictment — including reports that the man had been drinking since 9 a.m. and had been offered a ride due to his level of intoxication, which he refused, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini.
Before and after the upcoming hike on Sept. 30, at Shoreham-Wading River High School, the concession stand will be open, the Scout shop will have a table with merchandise available for purchase, a recruitment table for those interested in joining Scouting programs will be available, the Andrew McMorris Foundation will have a booth set up, and a DJ will be onhand “to keep the mood light and our spirits high!” an announcement for the event said.
For hike details, click here.
Reflecting on why the hike is so meaningful, Alisa McMorris, Andrew’s mom, spoke with Patch. “As we step forward carrying the loss of our son — we are reminded of an important quote that was given to us: ‘Be the things you loved most about the people who are gone.’ So we choose to walk and talk for Andrew and live the life he would have — walk while he cannot and finish the things he started. And that begins with this hike.”
The McMorris family, Alisa said, just returned from the Grand Canyon and Moab Utah, where they hiked and did all the things Andrew had planned to do on the trip. “We had planned the vacation last summer with him,” she said. “And he left us little notes of flights and adventures — at the end of the UTV tour of the valley, the sun peeked through the clouds and we got this special treat — wings on the mountain.”
(McMorris family)
“We are looking to finish what Andrew started,” John McMorris, Andrew’s father, said. “We continue to walk and talk for Andrew. We are walking to heal and gain strength as a family and as a Scouting unit — healing and grieving as a family and community.”
Alisa added: “Our focus is healing from our loss and remembering Andrew for the beautiful, kind and talented soul he is — and will always be.”
The one-year mark, Alisa said, “carries an enormous emotional burden and we want to walk together with Scouts, friends and family — symbolically walking together.”
Following the hike, that evening, a fundraiser is planned at the Suffolk Theater to celebrate Andrew’s life and fund scholarships in his name. This year, Alisa said, two scholarships were awarded to Shoreham-Wading River High School Seniors who embody Andrew’s spirit.
Two awards were also given to graduating 8th graders who share Andrew’s values, she said. “We are hoping to create what we like to call the ‘Andrew Effect.'”
The scholarship application describes the young man known for his bright smile and kind heart: “Andrew was full of life and positive spirit. His charisma was contagious and he had a knack of bringing people together. A friend to everyone, Andrew had a way to make everyone feel good about themselves. He consistently demonstrated his compassion and care for others on a daily basis. Andrew frequently would give up something of himself for the benefit of others. Andrew’s passion and zest for life was unrelenting and he never wanted to waste a moment.”
Those applying for the scholarships, Alisa said, should demonstrate qualities of kindness, care, selflessness and a concern for others including a commitment to the community and a strong desire to experience an impactful life.
Her boy, Alisa said, loved aviation — and after unthinkable loss, the many whose hearts were broken by his loss are keeping his memory alive in a beautiful way: “Andrew Rocks!” is a Facebook page dedicated to sharing stories and photos of colorful rocks, painted with words including “Fly High, Andrew,” that are lovingly hidden in spots both local and in the many places across the world where he’d dreamt of traveling.
(McMorris family)
And, oh, the places the rocks have gone so far, sharing Andrew’s beautiful spirit across the world.
Posts describe colorful rocks, painted for Andrew, in places including Cape Coral, FL, Lynchburg,VA, Disney World, an Inspiration Rock Garden in memory of Andrew by the Prodell Middle School Leadership Club, the Bahamas, Englewood Beach, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Myrtle Beach, SC, Moorea Island and Bora Bora in French Polynesia — with plans to bring the rocks to Belgium and other destinations around the world in the coming months and years.
A fitting tribute to a boy who took joy in helping his family plan trips and whose love of flying was deeply rooted in his heart.
(Courtesy MidIsland AirService.)
Recently, said John McMorris, the Chairman and CEO of American Airlines, W. Douglas Parker, sent their family a handwritten letter of condolence, a model airplane of Andrew’s favorite airplane, the 787, and a framed copy of the social media postings the airline created in his honor.
“We are honored to consider Andrew a member of the American Airlines family,” Parker wrote.
“This has touched our hearts so much as Andrew’s mission in life was to become a pilot for American Airlines flying a 787,” McMorris said. “Thank you so much Doug Parker and American Airlines! We know Andrew is flying high in the blue skies above.”
When he died, his parents, in a statement, said: “Andrew wanted to fly before he could walk. Airplanes, helicopters and rockets were the obsession of his life, and he achieved his first piloting goal this past summer during AeroCamp. Andrew was occasionally chided by parents, coaches and teachers for ‘having his head in the clouds’, but for Andrew, that only made sense,” his family said. “He wanted his whole self in the clouds, broken free of the bonds of this earth, borne up into an endless sky, with nothing but blue around him and horizon ahead, aloft and away. Fly high, Andrew.”
Her boy, Alisa said, loved travel. “Even today we continue to find little notes Andrew has left us. Planning our family trip to the Grand Canyon . . . we just stumbled upon a few sticky notes comparing flights to Denver with a little star next to American Airlines, with flights times and costs. He really loved American Airlines.”
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