Legacy Fund Honours Teenager From Zorra Township

Thursday, 6 February 2020 at 07:28

The family of the late Tyler Arts have setup the Tyler Arts Legacy Fund after he tragically died in a car accident one year ago, and it goes to support local programming and social services to improve the lives of youth and children in Oxford County.

ZORRA TOWNSHIP - The family of a teenager from Zorra Township is looking to keep his memory alive.

They have setup the Tyler Arts Legacy Fund after he tragically died in a car accident one year ago.

Michelle Franklin is a co-organizer of the Tyler Arts Memorial fundraiser and she says the legacy fund is held and managed through the Oxford Community Foundation.

"It was a way for people to give back. So when Ty passed away all of the memorial donations were requested to go there and there have been various fundraisers. The family has shirts and sweaters that they sell that has TA7 on them."

Three families put on the fundraiser in November of last year, which brought in $22,042.37. It was the first time this fundraiser was held, and it included a three-on-three hockey tournament during the day and in the evening it featured a silent auction and a live band.

The proceeds from that event were designated to the Tyler Arts Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation.

Franklin explains the impact Tyler had on his community.

"Tyler was a sweet, young man who impacted so many people. The outpouring of support from the fundraisers and the family through all of this has been amazing and everybody talks about Tyler's smile, he just infected people with his smile and I don't even know that he knows how amazing he was as a young man; incredible hockey player, team player, so many friends and loving family. For a young man, he really impacted a lot of people."

The Tyler Arts Legacy Fund supports local programming and social services to improve the lives of youth and children in Oxford County.

Franklin says if you want to contribute to the Legacy Fund, you can contact the Oxford Community Foundation at 226-667-6404.

She adds the second annual Tyler Arts Memorial fundraiser will be on November 7th, 2020.