What Is the Dylan Lewis Memorial Foundation?

Quick Answer

The Dylan Lewis Memorial Foundation, known to many in Monroe County as Sweets Strong, is a Michigan nonprofit created by the family and friends of Dylan "Sweets" Lewis, an Ida teenager who died of a rare childhood cancer in 2020 at age 14. The foundation funds scholarships in Dylan's name and gives directly to families facing childhood cancer, raising most of that money through the annual Dylan Lewis Pineapple 5K in Ida, Michigan.

Dylan Lewis

Dylan Thomas Lewis was born in Monroe, Michigan, on June 28, 2005, the younger of two boys in a loud, sports-obsessed house. He grew up in Ida, where he played center on the football team because nobody could snap the ball quite like him, covered just about every position in baseball, and never turned down a basketball game. It was on the baseball diamond that he earned the nickname "Sweets," which his family is quick to point out had nothing to do with his pleasant disposition and everything to do with his devotion to candy and junk food.

He was also the kind of kid people remember. A die-hard Michigan fan. An artist who loved to draw. The class clown with a mischievous smile and a signature thumbs-up for anyone who needed encouraging.

In September 2018, at 13 years old, Dylan was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumors, or DSRCT, a rare and aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma. What followed was chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries, including two in New York that removed roughly 15 pounds of tumor. Those treatments gave his family 18 more months with him, and through nearly all of it Dylan kept going to school, kept excelling in his classes, and kept trying to lighten the mood of everyone around him. He died at home on April 3, 2020, surrounded by his family, having just finished his freshman year at Ida High School. Before he passed, he left the people who loved him one instruction: live.

A Love Letter, Not a Charity Brochure

His family took that instruction seriously. The foundation they built describes itself as "a love letter to Dylan from his family and friends," and its board reads like the seating chart at a family dinner: his mom, his big brother, his grandmother, his aunts, and the friends who grew up alongside him.

The mission is concrete. The foundation awards scholarship funds in Dylan's name and donates directly to families navigating childhood cancer, a diagnosis that brings medical bills, travel, and a hundred everyday costs that pile up while a child is in treatment. The motto comes straight from Dylan himself: "You do you."

Pineapples and Dimes

Spend any time around the foundation and you will notice two recurring symbols. The pineapple is a nod to Psych, the detective comedy Dylan loved, famous for hiding a pineapple in nearly every episode. The dime comes from the family's belief that finding one is a sign a loved one is watching. "Cherish the dimes," the foundation's mission page reads. They find a lot of them.

The Pineapple 5K

The foundation's signature event is the Dylan Lewis Pineapple 5K Run/Walk, held each June at Ida Fireman's Park on Lewis Avenue. The fifth annual race took place this past June 27, drawing runners, walkers, and families from across Monroe County and beyond, with proceeds funding the foundation's scholarships and family support. The foundation welcomes runners, volunteers, and sponsors year-round, and registration for each year's race opens on RunSignUp.

Why We're Sharing This

Great Lakes Home Remodeling sponsored this year's Pineapple 5K. We will keep this part brief, because this story is not about us. We work on homes across southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio every day, and families like the Lewises are our neighbors. When a family turns the worst thing that can happen into scholarships and support for other families, that deserves a bigger audience.

If you would like to help, visit dylanlewismemorialfoundation.com to learn more, donate, or volunteer. And if you find a dime today, cherish it.