The Guilford Foundation announces the establishment of the Ethan Miller Song Fund, a permanent, donor advised legacy fund. The fund serves as a lasting memorial to Ethan Song, who passed away tragically on Jan. 31.

“The mission of the Guilford Foundation is to connect people who care with causes that matter to them,” said Guilford Foundation Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra. “In this case, an outpouring of community support resulted after an unimaginable tragedy. We are honored to work with the Songs and their broad group of supporters to steward a permanent legacy fund to honor Ethan and those issues he held so dear.”

The Guilford community, and the extended friends and family of the Songs, came together to support the family in the aftermath of what Mike Song, Ethan’s father, calls, “the one greatest tragedy.” In addition to an incredibly generous response to the creation of a memorial fund, the #SongStrong community created an ongoing “Ethan Song Act of Kindness” initiative, which encourages individuals to perform acts of kindness on a daily basis. Furthermore, the group has organized a number of community events—from a bowl-a-thon to a 5K road race to a “Spike Ball” tournament—to continue to raise funds and awareness.

The Ethan Miller Song Fund at the Guilford Foundation provides an opportunity for the Songs to honor Ethan, through donor-advised grants to organizations that work to promote the rescue and welfare of animals, bettering the lives of children, and gun safety education. This fund will exist in perpetuity through the Guilford Foundation to ensure Ethan’s legacy of love and kindness lives on forever.

“We are honored to work with the Guilford Foundation to honor Ethan’s legacy and the causes he cared for,” said Kristin Song, Ethan’s mother. “The support our family has received throughout these past several months has been overwhelming and we look forward to supporting programs to help keep kids safe.”

For more information, contact Liza Janssen Petra at the Guilford Foundation at 203-640-4049 or lpetra@guilfordfoundation.org.