Bradley Thomas in his 1972 Graland yearbook photo
Bradley Thomas was a graduate of Graland’s class of 1972. He was a brother and a son. His younger brother, David Thomas ’74, described Brad as a creative thinker, an excellent student, a fantastic athlete and a leader. And sadly, Brad died of a heroin overdose in 1990 after suffering from drug and alcohol addiction for over 15 years.
The family recalled Brad’s shift from having a large and very close group of friends to becoming a person they still loved but no longer knew. They reflected that “no matter how hard or how many times we tried, we could not bring him back.” Following his devastating passing, Don and Marcia Thomas were adamant that their son’s death be of some value to others. They graciously chose to make an impactful leadership gift to Graland to help fund substance abuse prevention for current and future students.
Graland had been an important part of the entire family’s life. Both Bradley and David attended Graland, and father Don served as an integral part of the school’s administrative team - as business manager for over 15 years and even as Graland’s interim head of school for a year, immediately preceding Allen Adriance. The family’s appreciation for the school went beyond these roles, however, with David sharing, Graland “provided an extremely strong educational and social foundation. Lifetime friendships were formed and remain today.”
The Thomas Family noted that Brad’s substance abuse did not begin with heroin; rather, It gradually built after using multiple other drugs for years. Because the beginnings of addiction can happen at a young age, the family believes passionately that educational support, and the recognition of the danger of substance abuse, can be instrumental in potentially saving lives.
Today, Graland partners with Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD), an affiliate of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. FCD is the leading international non-profit provider of K-12 onsite drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools across the United States and around the world. Since its founding in 1976, FCD prevention specialists have worked in hundreds of schools around the U. S. and in over 60 countries, serving more than two million students. Visiting FCD speakers—and former addicts—present to students in sixth through eighth grade about their personal journey and about the danger of substance abuse at all levels. They also focus their messaging on the idea of social norms and students’ ability to make healthy decisions. Beyond school-day programming, an evening event is included for eighth grade students and their parents, making family education a key component of the learning.
The Thomas family
Recently, the family reached out to Graland to express their goal of ensuring the Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund—and the critical education it helps provide—remains in place in perpetuity. To achieve this goal, they shared that Graland was included in their will and the school would one day receive a charitable bequest.
The Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund is one of Graland’s several special funds that welcome community support. And the purpose of this fund may especially resonate with some donors. “We understand giving is a very personal choice,” David said. “Our family’s intent is to bring awareness to the fund and the reason it exists. Many families have been affected in some way by this debilitating disease and we believe visibility will be a benefit to Graland, to its students and to the families that choose to share their support.”
Make a Gift Now
To make a current-year gift to the Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund, please visit www.graland.org/specialfunds.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.