The Blake Cadkin Memorial Fund

Six years ago, Alan was one of the founding members of Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, and Jackie continues to be a member of the Advisory Board. At the organization's inception, we made a substantial contribution in order to start the process of building a visitor's center at the slough (say "slew": it's a wooded wetlands with aquifers below which cleanse and store a great deal of this area's water supply). That building is under construction right now and will open in April. Because Blake was such an avid reader and self-educator, we told him that we would open the Blake Cadkin Memorial Fund which would maintain the educational material in the Resource Room of the Center. Blake was very pleased with this, and when we spoke of it he would smile and say, "That's great!" We have established that fund, and below are excerpts from a letter we received from Joyce Sanders, president of the Board of Directors of this organization.

"The many volunteers and staff at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve will never know Blake Cadkin, but his memory will live long through the resource books and materials purchased in his name. Through your love of this remarkable young man, The Blake Cadkin Memorial Fund has been opened in the Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough's special account in the amount of $4,175. Thank you for your special donation of $2500 to this fund. These donations from his many friends and family members have assured a successful start to the Resource Room.

I did not have the privilege of meeting Blake but I felt I knew him. The beautiful words and pictures of love and support toward him {on CaringBridge} was a tribute to his strength and courage. I feel he would be proud to have his name associated with the Interpretive Center at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. Every book and resource material purchased through this fund will carry his name."

Thanks again to those of you who contributed to Blake's fund. It will be a perpetual memorial to his love of learning and love of reading.

Alan and Jackie