The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and the Eric Anderson Weigel Memorial Fund celebrate the “Eric Weigel Day of Kindness + Gratitude” on April 29th, and it’s a day we can get behind! At Literacy Together, we invite all those who have been impacted by Eric’s legacy to take part! Eric was a voracious reader, and his parents, Larry and Jayne, regularly contribute to the mission at Literacy Together: to transform lives and communities through the power of literacy.
Eric’s Legacy of Compassion
Eric was a young man whose life was dedicated to kindness, learning, and adventure. Eric’s life was tragically cut short just weeks after his graduation when he died in a kayaking accident on the North Fork of the Payette River in Idaho. A National Merit Scholar who graduated Magna cum Laude from Furman University with a BS in chemistry in 2013, Eric dreamed of attending medical school. He practiced gratitude daily, taking time each evening to acknowledge what he felt thankful for. His love of reading and passion for learning inspired others throughout his life, and in his memory, his family has committed to supporting causes that aligned with Eric’s values.
Their support, in Eric’s honor, has gone toward providing free tutoring to more than 500 individuals each year in Buncombe County. “We believe in the mission of Literacy Together, and we are grateful to support your wonderful work for people in need,” they wrote.
Join the Movement on April 29th
Tremont & the Eric Anderson Weigel Memorial Fund have created “Eric Weigel Day of Kindness + Gratitude” on April 29. To honor Eric’s love of reading and his family’s commitment toward literacy, the team at Literacy Together has decided to participate and we hope you do as well! Here are some ideas for how to generate kindness and gratitude on April 29:
- Sign up to volunteer with our ESOL program — we have a waitlist of more than 70 students!
- Write thank you notes to teachers or literacy volunteers in your community
- Clean up litter around a local school or library
- Take time to listen to someone’s story without interruption or distraction
- Send a handwritten letter to someone who could use encouragement
- Ask a colleague or neighbor about their favorite book and why they love it
- Reach out to someone who might be lonely and invite them for coffee or a walk
- Write a list of things you are grateful for
In Eric’s memory, Literacy Together invites everyone to make April 29th a day when kindness and gratitude flourish. Through supporting literacy, as Larry and Jayne do, or through countless other acts of kindness, we can all help build the more just and compassionate world that Eric envisioned.
Eric’s parents have created bookmarks with some of Eric’s beautiful travel photography, along with some of his own reflections.
For more information about how you can participate or support Literacy Together’s mission, please contact us at development@lit-together.org.
