A Trail to Healing Ethan Murray Fund supports more mental health resources

It isn’t the destination that makes the hike worthwhile, but everything that can be seen and learned along the way.

The same can be said for running a nonprofit.

The Ethan Murray Fund, which launched in 2021, is one example of such a worthwhile journey.

Started in honor of the late Ethan Murray—who was shot and killed by law enforcement in Spokane Valley in May 2019—the fund is one way that Ethan’s mother, Sandpoint’s Justine Murray, has been able to take action against the legal and societal system that failed her son. Ethan struggled with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness before his death—challenges that Murray aims to combat by raising funds through several means, including pledges made toward thru-hikes she undertakes with her partner, Matt Connery.

The pair tackled the 850-mile Idaho Centennial Trail in 2021, amassing more than $60,000 for their efforts and subsequently donating a third of those funds to transitional housing non- profit Bonner Homeless Transitions. Those funds have also provided financial support for people accessing counseling, and the nonprofit is currently in the process of partnering with other local groups to fill in financial gaps to support individuals in need of mental health services.

“We’re getting back on board with lots of ideas,” Murray said, noting that EMF is working to find its “niche” in the community and is open to suggestions from other groups with similar goals.

The next big thing for the fund will be a second thru-hike— this time on the Pacific Northwest Trail, which covers about 1,200 miles across the northern borders of Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Murray and Connery are set to embark on the journey in June. Pledge sheets, along with a map, are now available at Murray’s business, La Chic Boutique, in downtown Sandpoint at 107 Main St.

Learn more at www.ethanmurrayfund.org

– Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey