£1m tribute as parents launch fund in memory of Keaton
THE parents of tragic backpacker Keaton Emery have launched a charity in his name – with a £1m donation.
Popular young student Keaton, 23, died while on a hike in the mountains near Lake Como, Italy.
Search and rescue teams spent three days looking for Keaton, a former pupil at Cheadle Hulme School in Stockport, after he went missing on Thursday, September 7. They recovered his body at the bottom of a 60ft drop near the summit of the 5,577ft Legnoncino mountain.
An inquest has been opened and adjourned by a coroner.
His funeral is tomorrow, followed by a celebration of his life at the Tytherington Club for close friends and family.
Despite their grief Keaton’s parents, Denise and Peter, who run Emery Planning Consultancy in Macclesfield, have launched the Keaton Emery Memorial Foundation.
Denise said: “Keaton was a very special person to us as his parents but also to so many others. We feel that a memorial charity would be a positive way in which to acknowledge the contribution he has made to so many lives. “Keaton was very conscious that his privileged upbringing had financially and emotionally given him enormous opportunities and options for the way he could live his life and that very many youngsters do not have any such options open to them. “He was particularly keen to promote education and training that would help youngsters make their way in the world that will be shortly dominated by Artificial Intelligence. “There are unfortunately many youngsters in care or who are homeless that cannot access further education, so we have set up The Keaton Emery Memorial Foundation to help finance such young people in the north of England.” The Emerys, from Adlington, Macclesfield, hope the foundation can forge links with homeless charity Centrepoint. Denise added: “We want to make an immediate impact so are donating £1m now and another £1m over the next few years. Nevertheless, we would like to attract as many donations as possible to sustain this important work in Keaton’s memory. “The intention is to invest the capital and donate the revenue to established charities working for underprivileged young adults.” For further information email contact@ keatonemeryfoundation.com Denise Emery