Hamilton County families use memorial funds to invest in local youth & community

Submitted

With the help of the Hamilton County Community Foundation, two families have turned their tragedies into something that benefits the community. And this summer, they’re inviting the public to get involved.

On June 6, Joe and Kathy Cox will host the second annual Abs Angels Legacy Golf Outing in memory of their 20-year-old daughter, Abigail, who was killed in a car accident in 2023. (Registration/information at abs-angels.com.)

On July 21, family and friends of Tony Etchison will host the fourth annual Tony Etchison Memorial Golf Outing and silent auction in memory of Etchison, 47, who died in a farming accident in 2019. (Registration/information at etch21.com.)

Proceeds for the two events will benefit the Abigail Cox Legacy Fund and the Tony Etchison Memorial Foundation, respectively. Both funds are overseen by the Hamilton County Community Foundation. Abigail’s fund provides a $5,000 annual scholarship to Purdue University as well as gifts to more than a dozen other organizations, and beneficiaries of Tony’s fund include $5,000 gifts to both the Noblesville Youth Assistance Program and the Hamilton Heights Youth Assistance Program.

“HCCF offers a variety of ways to remember and honor people in our fundholders’ lives, including naming their fund after a loved one, making a grant in honor/memory of an individual, or starting a memorial fund,” said HCCF Philanthropic Advisor Josie Frey. “We’re honored by the trust our fundholders have in us and it is incredibly meaningful to be a small part of their philanthropic journey.”

In 2024, the 10 Memorial Funds Hamilton County Community Foundation oversees distributed $814,796.28. HCCF offers eight kinds of funds for charitable giving. There is no minimum requirement to start a fund. For more information, visit https://www.cicf.org/giving/types-of-funds/