Sarah Judd
Approximately 70 participants met at the starting line in front of the fire station in Alamo for the 11th Annual Eric M. Lee Memorial 5K Run/Walk/Bike on April 22.
The Lee family moved to Pahranagat Valley in June of 2004. Eric was working for the Clark County Fire Department at the time. In 2005, he was asked to be Fire Chief of the Pahranagat Valley Fire District while still working for Clark County. In September 2006, Eric died in a car accident on the way home from work, leaving behind his wife Trisha and three young children.
When talking with Trisha Lee Taylor about who Eric was as a person, she recounted, “He was amazing in every way. He would literally take the shirt off of his back for anyone. He was kind, thoughtful and loved to joke a lot. He loved his kids more than anything. He also loved his country and was very patriotic.”
Eric was a former Marine. He served four years active duty and four years in the reserve. The money raised from the event goes into a scholarship fund. Each year, members of the senior class at Pahranagat Valley High School write essays on what patriotism means to them. Trisha Lee Taylor then chooses one person to receive the scholarship, and the winner is announced at graduation.
The event started with a moment of silence and then the song “Everybody’s Hero” by Never Mind played. The song was written by Eric’s brother Brett and was written about Eric shortly after he passed. More than 110 people raised money to go towards the Eric M. Lee Memorial Scholarship fund. Taylor expressed gratitude toward the community in saying, “The love and support that this valley has given us, you just can’t describe it.”
