Our Mission

The Greg Westhoff Foundation was established in memory of our dear friend, Greg. He was a friend to all: a generous human being willing to lend reason, sprinkled with humor, to any situation that came his way.

Greg’s amazing friendships took root and grew in the famous Westhoff basement - our safe haven - where we spent hours on end playing video games, drinking endless cans of soda, and laughing until our sides hurt. Looking back, this stage was a fundamental stepping stone in the many life lessons that emerged from our subterranean oasis. It was a charmed childhood: no matter what life threw at our group of friends, we had each other.

As we got older, we graduated from the basement that smelled of teenage boys and hit the streets of Wantagh in Greg’s Jeep Wrangler - the hottest car in town. Together, we recreated our sense of solidarity as we explored Long Island, especially its many beaches. 

While Greg frequented many beautiful beaches, he most specifically took a liking to Sore Thumb, a drive-on beach that offered everything he needed for happiness: salty air, soft sand, and pure peace. A hidden gem, it became a world of his own where Greg was at his best. Soon enough, it became known simply as “Greg’s Beach”, where we made memories and left footprints that even the Atlantic Ocean’s tide could not wash away. 

When Greg was not at Sore Thumb Beach, he was a counselor at Camp ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation), a camp for those with special needs. Greg worked for years at Camp ANCHOR down in Lido Beach … he always found his way to the shore with the people he loved most. 

Camp ANCHOR enabled Greg’s kindness and patience to shine through; together with his brother Chuck, who has Williams Syndrome, Greg became an example of an inclusive leader. 

Greg’s intelligence and problem-solving skills translated into tremendous academic success, both in and out of the classroom. An honor student who challenged himself with a rigorous schedule of all AP classes while remaining involved in the Science Olympiad and various Honor Societies at Wantagh High School, he made it look easy. Humble always, Greg used his natural abilities not only to do well but to share what he knew. 

That leads us to why we started this foundation in the first place so that we can carry on the legacy of our dearest friend Greg. 

We hope to keep those same beaches clean for the next generation of Long Island kids to enjoy as much as we did. We hope to foster a community in which mental health awareness and access are an everyday priority. We hope to give back and support those with special needs so that love and acceptance become as natural as Greg made it feel for so many. We hope to continue to award a sizable scholarship to a deserving Wantagh High School senior who demonstrates the values of the Greg Westhoff Foundation.

If this non-profit foundation can contribute even just a fraction of what Greg brought into this world, we believe that this would honor Greg’s humanity and keep his legacy alive. Most of all, we hope to inspire the kindness and generosity Greg showed his friends, family, and all those he met along his journey.