For Gary and Judie Price, the answer was clear and compelling: establish legacy funds in their children’s names and direct them toward the passions that had filled their children’s lives.

When daughter Christen died in 1998, the Prices set up the Christen M. Price Memorial Fund to support music and the arts, which Christen had so loved.

For son Eric, something very different was needed. “Eric had a strong sense of social justice and concern for others,” Judie says. “We wanted to reflect his real connection with people from every walk of life.”

Eric had been a loving husband to his wife Kelli, a devoted father to his children Paige and Emily, and cherished brother to Craig, Christen, Dana and Patrick, as well as a much-loved son to Judie and Gary.

From the family’s heartbreak at his death at age 50 has grown The ERIC Fund, Elevating Residents in Crisis.

“Eric was taken from us much too soon,” Gary says, “but he leaves behind a spirit of empathy, kindness and compassion for those in need.” The ERIC Fund will take those qualities and use them to help people in Martin County who are lacking in basic human needs such as food, shelter and clothing.

The Prices chose The Community Foundation of Martin-St. Lucie to administer The ERIC Fund because of the Foundation’s record of solid financial management but also because of its knowledge of the needs of the community.