The Garrett B. Smith Foundation was established in memory of our 4-year-old son who passed away on January 30, 1995 after a brief struggle with cancer.  

The foundation has a two-fold goal.  On the lighter side, the foundation attracted the Big Apple Circus Clown Care to Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital over 20 years ago and provides the complete funding for it. It remains our foundation’s single largest annual financial commitment. 

In the scientific arena, we support research fellowships at leading hospitals around the country as well as the child life department at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital where Garrett was treated. Over the past years, the foundation has funded 11 fellowships at 6 different hospitals. The fellowships cover the cost of a young scientist working in an established cancer research setting for two years. By renewing our fellowships at these institutions over the years, we hope that each Garrett fellow can leverage the work of their predecessors. Our long-term goal is to cultivate a network of top physicians that will remain committed to fighting cancer for their entire careers.