Erin Berry, a gifted student and bridge player, was tragically killed in a car accident on January 30, 1998, three days before her 17th birthday. In memory of Erin, her father, Larry Berry, set up the Erin Berry Memorial Trust Fund in 2001, with an initial deposit of $80,000.
The Fund is administered by the Canadian Bridge Federation for the purpose of helping CBF junior members, up to 19 years of age, with expenses incurred to attend bridge events. Qualified individuals receive a subsidy of up to 75% of their expected expenses for the bridge activity. For a history of the Erin Berry Memorial Fund grants please click here.
The Fund Trustees are appointed each year by the CBF President. To ensure that the fund remains in place for several years, the Fund’s interest income and up to 5% of the principle are available for disbursement each year.
APPLYING FOR A GRANT
To apply for a grant from the Erin Berry Memorial Fund, an application for funding must be submitted to the CBF Executive Secretary/Treasurer prior to the Trustees’ meetings which are usually held in May of each year.
The application must include the following:
Candidates Name, address and ACBL number.
Candidates Birth date and a copy of their birth certificate.
Description of the event they wish subsidy for – with particulars on dates, cost, etc.
Budget of their expenses for this event.
Some of the events that might qualify for funding are:
Bridge Camps
Canadian Junior Trials
Canadian Bridge Championships
Youth NABC
World Youth Open Bridge Championships
World Youth Team Championships
FISU World University Bridge Championships
Grants awarded
Grants awarded since 2005: see this document.
THE LIFE OF ERIN BERRY
Erin Colleen Berry was born in Cold Lake, Alberta on February 2, 1981. She also lived in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick before moving to Saskatchewan to live in Moose Jaw and then Regina. She was an excellent student with special interests in math, writing, music and acting.
Erin was an avid bridge player. In August of 1997 Erin became a Life Master at the age of 16. She shared her bridge passion with her mother, Carole.
In June of 1997 Erin attended the World Scholar Games in Rhode Island. It was there that Erin met her boyfriend, Aaron Pabst, who was also tragically killed in the single vehicle accident that took Erin’s life on January 30, 1998, just three days before her 17th birthday.
Although Erin had never attended a Junior Camp or Junior Trials, her interest in Junior Bridge was beginning. In the fall of 1997 she took part in the trials to select a team to represent Canada at the International Youth Festival in Holland. Erin had already put her name in to the ACBL to attend the 1998 Junior Camp and was planning to play in the Canadian Junior Trials in August.