Notre Dame parent Barry Sullivan was thrust into the national spotlight on Oct. 27, 2010, when his son Declan, 20, a Notre Dame junior, died in an accident while working as a student videographer at Fighting Irish football practice. 

In the years since then, Barry and his wife, Alison Drumm, and their children Wyn ’14 and Mac ’17, have turned their grief into positive action that has lifted the lives of the less fortunate, through the Declan Drumm Sullivan Fund.

The major recipient of the Fund’s resources is Horizons for Youth, founded in Chicago in 1991 by a group of Notre Dame alums. Horizons for Youth helps underprivileged Chicago students from kindergarten through college graduation. Its programs target specific stages in academic and social development, as well as the individualized struggles that students may face. Programs include academic monitoring, tutoring, counseling and mentorship, along with an Emergency Family Fund. 

“We were inundated with so much support in the aftermath,” says Barry Sullivan. “We knew we were called to find a mission to channel this support. Connecting with Horizons for Youth was the perfect vehicle to help others.  

“We have found comfort in the relationships that have been formed,” Barry says. “Our wish to turn tragedy into good has been uplifting to us.”