Andrew's Legacy Lives On

The charity has donated over 70 defibrillators in memory of Andrew Stoddart since 2015.

KINTORE - It's been 10 years since the Andrew's Legacy first started.

On May 11th, 2015, 15-year-old Andrew Stoddart had dinner with his family before heading to the soccer field in Kintore for the first game of the season.

It started to rain, but the game kept going while spectators hopped in their vehicles to stay dry. Cara Schmidt, Andrew's mother, remembers a rainbow on the field once the rain stopped, and the moment she realized that Andrew was down on the field.

She tried to resuscitate Andrew with three other mothers, but they were unsuccessful. Schmidt has since learned that there were over 300 calls to 911 that day and several parents were talking about breaking into the nearby school in search of an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED.

But Schmidt says the school did not have that life saving piece of equipment that could have saved her son.

"All schools need to have a defibrillator because this can happen anywhere. It's not just for the kids and staff, but for the people who rent the schools, the after-school programs, and any parents or grandparents that would be visiting. Schools are a hub of our community as well as churches, and a lot of churches now have them too. It's very important that these community public spaces have defibrillators."

She says Andrew's Legacy began just hours after his death.

"It was that night that our family decided that we needed to do something. If a defibrillator was on that soccer field or even in the school next to the soccer field, Andrew would have had a fighting chance to live and to be a 25-year-old man today. So that's when Andrew's Legacy started, that night on the soccer field."

While writing his obituary, the family decided to ask for donations to purchase AEDs for sports teams. Schmidt was blown away by the response.

"We received so much money from the donations in memory of Andrew that we were able to donate I believe it was five of them."

She adds the very first AED was installed on June 20th, 2015 on the same soccer field where Andrew passed away in Kintore.

"Walking that field was very heartbreaking, but to know that the community has come together and would put a defibrillator there in his memory was very heartwarming as well."

Andrew's Legacy became a registered charity through the London Community Foundation, and everything started to take off from there. It has been the charity of choice for the Thamesford Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign for the past seven years, and it has grown to become one of the most successful campaigns in the country.

Schmidt says the community response to the Smile Cookie campaign blows her away each year.

"It's a very unique experience for a town with 2,000 people to sell over 22,000 cookies last year. We still don't have the numbers for this year, but we're hoping we'll be up there."

She says they're now getting ready for the Wildwood Dragon Boat Challenge in St. Mary's on May 24th.

"There are 16 teams entered including an Andrew's Legacy team. None of us have done dragon boating before, so it will be a fun experience to watch!"

There will also be a silent auction, a 50/50 draw and some AED and CPR demonstrations.

Schmidt says the last 10 years have been a whirlwind of emotions.

"I am very sad that Andrew is not here, but I am very happy for what we have done in his memory, and I am very grateful that my family has done this together with us in his memory. So Andrew is with us."

She doesn't know what the future will bring, but there is some excitement on the horizon.

"Krista (Granger) and I are now training to be first aid trainers. We're going to partner with Andrew's Legacy and do first aid training for all of those people who want to learn how to do first aid."

Since its inception, Andrew's Legacy has been able to purchase 74 AEDs, plus they have five more on the way. With each AED valued at about $2,000, this means they have invested about $158,000 over the past decade.

Schmidt is very grateful for all of the supporters of the past, present, and future.

"I would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters over the past 10 years. This is not just me doing this, this is our family, this is our friends, these are our new friends who we have come to love and enjoy being with throughout this campaign. This is for everybody who loved Andrew and everybody who has children, parents, and grandchildren. We are very grateful and very thankful to all of our supporters throughout the past 10 years."

You can find more information about Andrew's Legacy and donate to the cause online here.

(Andrew's Legacy has been purchasing defibrillators for public places in memory of Andrew Stoddart since 2015)

(The soccer field where Andrew passed away received the first AED from Andrew's Legacy)

(Andrew's Legacy has been the charity of choice for the Thamesford Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign for the past seven years)

(Cara Schmidt received the King Charles III Coronation Medal from Oxford MP Arpan Khanna in March 2025, for her family's unwavering dedication to Andrew's Legacy. Photo Credit: Arpan Khanna Facebook page)