BriAnna Kruzel passed away unexpectedly at 18 on September 28, 2013, from unknown causes. She left behind her parents, Randy and Tami Kruzel, along with two brothers, Josh Kulus and Brandon Kruzel. Throughout BriAnna’s life, she was very active and passionate about Girl Scouts. Her greatest love was working with Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2013 she was nominated and won High School Big Sister of the Year, something she was very proud of. BriAnna also received the Youth Appreciation Award through the St. Cloud Optimist Club for her hard work with Big Brothers Big Sisters. BriAnna gave much of her time volunteering and was very involved with the Sartell Community Ed Dance program. She enjoyed scrapbooking, crafting, and being around animals in her free time. She was a very happy person with an infectious smile that would light up a room. To honor her legacy of giving back, her family decided to continue giving back to the community that she loved.

Her family and friends established a non-profit called What Would Bri Do, with the mission statement, “WWBD is dedicated to supporting people and organizations in need while being a force for positivity in the world.” Before planning to build Bri’s Lodge, What Would Bri Do has supported many of the causes that BriAnna believed in and distributed approximately $50,000 to those in need. Some of the organizations WWBD has helped include; the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education dance program, a local Girl Scout Troop, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, and Terebinth Refuge, a transitional home for victims of sex trafficking.