Rowing across the Atlantic in honor of Toby Wallace and in support of buildOn

Toby Wallace was a world record breaker, rowing 3000 miles unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean. He won the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race for two consecutive years, rowing for Great Britain, and won state and national championships in many sports and extreme adventure races around the world. Toby Wallace was also an avid buildOn supporter, delivering his last charity presentation at a buildOn event in June 2013.

Friends remember Toby, who passed away tragically during a charity bike race, as a “man who achieved more in his 36 years than many of us could in a lifetime. He touched the lives of thousands of people giving inspiration and encouragement. He was dedicated to giving and ensuring that others got as much out of life as he did. Achieving all this with his quiet, humble and sincere demeanor.”

In honor of Toby’s life and legacy, friends have engaged in a variety of fundraising activities to continue to support Toby’s community in Philadelphia. The most recent of which is an Atlantic crossing in a lightweight eight-man ocean rowing boat. The Toby Wallace Crew left Gran Canaria on February 10, 2014 and reached Barbados after 32 days at sea.

Read about the incredible journey of the Toby Wallace Crew here.

“Instead of focusing on what you don’t have or can’t do, the answer is what you do have and what you can give in service to other people. Recognizing that you have something to give, through your talents, your experience, your passions, that you can make a difference in this world, is amazingly powerful. buildOn is there, not to tell you what you have to do, but to help you realize what you want to do….”   – Toby Wallace

Other fundraising events will be held to remember Toby Wallace and support buildOn such as the Party for buildOn! to be held May 31st, 2014. This will be an evening of live music and dancing on the Main Line, PA. Proceeds will go towards the buildOn Toby Wallace School Campaign.

The Toby Wallace School Campaign, organized by friends of Toby Wallace, will raise $50,000 to fund a primary school in Malawi. The campaign will also sponsor 10 Philadelphia high school students in the buildOn program to travel to Malawi and help with the construction of the school.