Tristan Gilbert Velez

#Vans4Tristan

  • The Artist

    Limitless talents and a gift with artistic expresison.

  • The Comedian

    The gift to make others laugh with his jokes and sense of humor

  • The Friend

    Brought joy and smiles to everyone, friend or stranger.

  • Our Tristan

    12/27/1998 - 12/7/2014

  • “A smile that was so vibrant it would light up a room”

  • “A spark in his eye that made us all fall in love with him”

  • “Personality as big as his smile”

  • “An amazing person that you were thankful to have had the chance to meet”

  • “Gifted with words”

  • “A kind soul”

In memory of our son Tristan Gilbert Velez, we conduct a fundraiser that allows friends and family to donate Vans. Tristan was a vibrant and artistic teenager that like many kids his age also had a passion for shoes. Specifically, Vans, he loved the comfort and the varied designs that they offered. When Tristan passed away in 2014, it impacted not just his family but also his friends. As a way to remember him they started wearing Vans in his memory and naming it #Vans4Tristan.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

— Maya Angelou