Craig Melvin’s Heart-Wrenching Tribute to His Late Brother—How He’s Turning Tragedy into a Lifelong Mission to Help Others

Craig Melvin has faced an unimaginable loss with the death of his brother, but instead of letting grief define him, the Today show anchor has turned his pain into a powerful force for good. In an emotional reveal, Melvin shared how he honors his brother’s memory by dedicating himself to helping others, raising awareness, and using his platform to inspire change. His incredible commitment to turning heartbreak into hope serves as a poignant reminder of the strength found in resilience and love.

Curious about how Melvin is making an impact? Don’t miss the full story—check it out below! 👇

“When terrible things happen to us and terrible things happen to all of us, we can do one of two things essentially. We can curl up into the fetal position and sob, or we can take that pain and turn it into something.”

Photo: NBC / Contributor/Getty Images

Each weekday morning, Craig Melvin arrives into our homes via our televisions to give us the news we need to know with clarity and kindness in equal measure. As a part of the dynamic team of anchors that make up the TODAY show, the South Carolina native has become one of the most trusted voices in the country and he has developed a sizable platform. He is now utilizing his voice to bring awareness to a cause to which he is deeply, personally connected.

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In 2016, Melvin’s older brother, Lawrence Meadows was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer when he was just 39 years old. His courageous fight was documented on TODAY because both brothers felt that by sharing Lawrence’s story they could help educate others about the disease, about the importance of screenings, and to bring awareness to the realities both patients and their caregivers face.

The Baptist minister, husband, and father of two young children lost his fight with the disease in December of 2020 at the age of 43. “We started to do a lot of work with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance when he was still alive and battling the disease and when it became apparent that he was not going to be able to survive it, he and I had a conversation and it was important to him that we continue to work with the Alliance,” Melvin told Southern Living. 

It’s a promise Melvin has kept for the nearly four years since his brother’s death. He has remained committed to both raising awareness on early detection, but also in actively being a part of the mission to find a cure. Just how he would do that was, in part, inspired by a friend of his, fellow South Carolinian, Darius Rucker.

“I usually get down to Myrtle Beach every year to play in Hootie and the Blowfish’s charity golf event. It’s called Monday after the Masters. And I was talking to Darius about it and he sort of suggested that we basically rip off their idea because it has been so successful for them. So that’s what we did.”

Melvin and his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, created the Bottoms Up Invitational. The two day event includes a star-studded concert followed by a golf tournament and every cent raised goes to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, just as Lawrence wished.

“In the first two years we’ve raised about 2.1 million dollars and this year we expect to raise at least another million. Which is great. It’s great that we can throw a party and play some golf and raise some money,” Melvin said.

He continued, “But it’s also about keeping the conversation going. One of the reasons we call it Bottoms Up is to sort of, not make light of the disease, but make light of how easy it is to get screened for the disease.”

Melvin said he hopes he can demystify this disease and get people talking about their family medical history and the uncomfortable things. “It’s about getting people to talk about their colons, their rectums, and blood in their stool. Encouraging friends and family at the age of 45 to go get your colonoscopy, unless you’ve got a family history, you should get screened sooner.”

This year’s Bottoms Up takes place in Fairfield, Connecticut, on September 15 and 16. Festivities begin Sunday night with a concert that, despite the location, boasts a line up of musicians that mostly call our neck of the woods home. Melvin told us, “Well listen, I may have moved north but my music tastes haven’t changed.” The list includes Sister Hazel, Branford Marsalis, Kristian Bush of Sugarland, and Emerson Hart.

“A lot of these guys, yeah they come to perform, but they also come to play golf and hang out. And I’m proud of the fact that in year three, a lot of the folks that are coming back this year are the folks who have been with us from the very beginning.”

The next day for the golf tournament, along with the musicians, Melvin will also be joined by a few of his TODAY colleagues, Willie Geist and Carson Daly, as well as several other familiar faces. And just like every year before, the entire Melvin family will come up from South Carolina.

“To remember Lawrence, to hold up his kids. So it’s like a family reunion as well. It’s a party with a purpose,” he shared.

Melvin also told us that this will be the first year that his niece and nephew will attend and share with the participants “about how much this has meant to them personally, for our family and for the cause at large.”

TODAY will also broadcast live on Monday from the tournament. “We shot a story that will run on Monday where we highlighted a caregiver and the survivor. Because it’s also a celebration of survivors and caregivers and doctors and nurses and the researchers that are on the front lines really trying to find the cure and make a dent in terms of prolonging not just the length of life but the quality of life as well.”

Melvin and his wife have turned their personal tragedy into a positive mission. “It helps us cope. It helps us grieve. It helps attach purpose to his life even after his death.”

“When terrible things happen to us and terrible things happen to all of us, we can do one of two things essentially. We can curl up into the fetal position and sob, or we can take that pain and turn it into something. And that’s what we’ve tried to do here.”