Fundraiser For Lincoln-Sudbury Trainer Yoshitaka Ando's Kids

SUDBURY, MA — Friends of the family of Yoshitaka Ando, the Lincoln-Sudbury athletic trainer who died of cancer on Monday, have set up a fundraiser to help his four children attend college. The family has also released details about upcoming memorial services for Ando.

The GoFundMe fundraiser is seeking $500,000 to send Ando's four children —Lucas, 17; Kyle, 16; Marcus, 14; and Olivia, 9 — to college. As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had raised just over $50,000.

"Though he had long been a trusted advisor to players and coaches at Lincoln-Subdury, Ando officially became a coach when his four children came of age," the fundraiser page reads. "Now those of us whose lives have been enriched by Ando are seeking to secure financial stability for his family amidst an uncertain future. Your contribution to this fund will help to ensure that his daughter and three sons will have the opportunity to pursue their academic goals and their career ambitions."

The family has also announced a memorial service will be held at Lincoln-Sudbury on Dec. 14 at 9:45 a.m. Organizers are expecting close to 2,000 people to attend from all over the state and nation.

Ando was diagnosed earlier this year with an aggressive form of esophageal cancer. He went to the hospital in early December and died on Dec. 3.

Ando came to Massachusetts from Japan at age 15 in 1978 and graduated from Franklin High School. After graduating from Bridgewater State, where he played football, he got a job as an athletic trainer at Lincoln-Sudbury in 1987.

During a 33-year career, Ando made an indelible mark on the school community. After his wife, Cheri, announced his death this week, tributes poured out from colleagues and students past and present. By some estimates, he helped thousands of student-athletes during his time as an educator.

"He was an incredibly hard-working parent and employee present every day of our season, pre AND post. Throughout this entire time he was the supportive 'brother' to hundreds of coaches and mentor to thousands of LS student athletes. He was an absolutely loyal colleague to each and every one of us who has worked at LS at one time or another," Lincoln-Subdury Superintendent Bella Wong said earlier this week.