Four County Community Foundation creates new fund to honor Justin Shilling's memory
The Four County Community Foundation has created a new fund to honor the memory of Justin Shilling, one of four students who died in the 2021 Oxford High School shooting.
The fund is called the For the Love of Nature Fund and it aims to honor Shilling's memory and his love for the outdoors, while also supporting conservation efforts. Justin's mother, Jill Soave said in a press release that when she began to think of ways to memorialize her son, she thought of the all the happy memories he had with nature.
The foundation provide services to the villages and cities of southeastern Lapeer County, western St. Clair County, northern Macomb County, and northeastern Oakland County.
"I feel Justin in every sunrise, in every flower and every majestic tree," Soave said. "He loved all of God's creation, great and small. He had a connection with nature."
Four County Community Foundation Executive Director Kathy Dickens said in an email that the foundation is pleased to hold the fund in Justin's memory. She said its purpose is to continue Justin's love of service and the environment.
"For such a young man, he left an indelible imprint on his community by volunteering, helping out at the drop of a hat and loving everything about the outdoors," Dickens said. "This endowed fund and all of its related projects will keep Justin's spirit alive, forever. We are proud to partner with this effort."
Soave said in the release that she hopes the For the Love of Nature Fund can accomplish many things, including planting trees in Justin's name, hosting local clean up events and supporting clean water and air initiatives, particularly ones related to the Great Lakes.
Soave envisions that many of those events as being open to community involvement and inclusive to all people. Plans are already being made for a walk-a-thon event in May on the Polly Ann Trail, located in Oakland County.
“Protecting the environment was personal to him and I think he would really be proud with these types of projects,” Soave said.
People who wish to donate to the For the Love of Nature Fund can do so by visiting https://bit.ly/Fortheloveofnature or send a check to the Four County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 539, Almont MI, 48003.
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Justin Shilling's memory honored through new nature fund
