Singer-songwriter Andy Grammer believes in the power of inclusion and all other forces of good in the world.
“I’m just very inspired,” said multi-platinum music artist Andy Grammer when we first met him through a partnership for our sister nonprofit, Help Us Gather (HUG). Andy had heard about our friend with cerebral palsy, Andrew Brettner, who’d been training hard to Grammer’s hit song “Don’t Give Up on Me” as motivation to reach a goal of walking for the first time. “There is nothing that encapsulates the theme of “Don’t Give Up on Me” more than that,” Grammer said.
Currently mobile via wheelchair, Brettner’s dedication to training grew from his determination to someday become engaged and to walk his long-time girlfriend down the aisle. The lyrics to Andy Grammer’s song felt as if they were personally written for him, and Andrew found the motivation to fight through the pain the accompanied his strenuous workouts.
The HUG team thought Grammer would appreciate knowing the impact he’d made on Andrew’s life, and sent a short video to Grammer about Andrew’s journey to walk.
Honey, He’s Good
In true Andy Grammer style, he sent a heartfelt, personal video back to Andrew. Grammer’s team organized a meet-and-greet concert experience for Andrew, getting the two Andys face-to-face after the show, where a mutual admiration made them friends. Grammer made sure Andrew knew how much he believed in him to reach his goal to walk.
“We didn’t hesitate to reach out to Mr. Grammer,” said We Include and HUG founder Robin Lally. “He seemed like the kind of person who would care. And, he is.”
Andy Grammer’s ginormous positive attitude shines a huge light on the world through his music and his work in the community. He’s volunteered to be a basketball coach for the NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game. He’s performed benefit concerts for cystic fibrosis, Save the Children, and breast cancer research. He sits on the Entertainment Council for Feeding America with the specific goal of ending hunger in this country.
Known for his uplifting, feel-good songs like “Keep Your Head Up” and “Honey, I’m Good,” Andy also has a reputation for being the real deal. “I’ve always been a positive person,” he told The Today Show. “It’s in my DNA.” Quick to laugh, always smiling, Andy is the kind of authentic person who sees the good in everything.
“It just means don’t exclude. It’s like that saying: don’t build a bigger fence, build a bigger table.”
Andy’s work with us and with the Special Olympics demonstrates his commitment to a more inclusive world. “Inclusion is not that hard,” he said in an interview. “It just means don’t exclude. It’s like that saying: don’t build a bigger fence, build a bigger table.”
We’re with Andy. There are plenty of seats when you make enough room for everybody.
You can hear Andy’s music and follow his career at AndyGrammer.com.
