Guts & Butts

In April 2014, John Gyselbrecht was a beloved, active, healthy and happy math teacher, husband, son, brother and friend. Just 11 months later, gastric cancer took his life. Before John died, he publicly expressed his hope that one day, funding for this disease would allow sufferers to measure their lives in decades, not months, and eventually a cure would be found.

John’s friends and family will be clearing the coast of cigarette butts and other garbage this September. John, who had a Master’s in Environmental Education, cared about the plight of the oceans. Pismo Beach gave John particular comfort while enduring his chemotherapy treatments.

Through a fundraising campaign launched by John and his wife Stacy during his treatment, and the annual grassroots Guts and Butts events that honor John’s memory, over $88,000 has been raised for Gastric Cancer Foundation. The hope is to reach $100,000 through this 4th and final Guts and Butts event.