About Us

The Big Tuna Project was founded by Joel Wozniak’s parents Caroline and Phil, brother Drew, and sister Alana.

Joel was loved more than words can ever properly express. He was a son, a brother, a father, an uncle, a best friend, a colleague, and a cousin. He was someone people leaned on, laughed with, trusted, and loved deeply. He mattered to so many — and to us, he was everything.

When we lost Joel to suicide, the impact was immediate and devastating. The grief that followed was unlike anything we had ever experienced. It wasn’t just sadness — it was shock, confusion, guilt, anger, heartbreak, and an ache that never truly leaves. Life didn’t just change; it stopped making sense.

As parents, there is no greater pain than losing a child. It goes against the natural order of life and leaves a wound that never fully heals. As a brother and sister, we lost our constant — the person we called first, the one who protected us, the one who made everything feel safer just by being there. His absence is felt in every moment, every milestone, every quiet space.

Getting through each day can feel like wading through mud. Simple things become exhausting. Time feels heavier. Some days, just surviving is an achievement. This is a grief we would not wish on anyone.

And that is why we started The Big Tuna Project.

This project was not born from expertise or strategy. It was born from pain. From the reality of what happens when men feel they have to carry everything alone. From the knowledge that silence can be deadly. From the desperate hope that if even one conversation had happened earlier, Joel might still be here.

We started this project to stop other families from becoming stuck in this same mud of grief. To encourage conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary. To remind men that they do not have to be strong all the time, that asking for help is not a failure, and that they are not a burden.

The Big Tuna Project is our way of keeping Joel’s name spoken and his life meaningful. It is how we turn unimaginable pain into purpose. Every conversation started, every event held, every dollar raised carries Joel’s legacy forward — not defined by how he died, but by how deeply he was loved.

We do this as a family, for our family.

For Joel.

And for every family who deserves a different ending.