On Oct. 10, 2021, Elizabeth “Beth” Grey, a Warwick resident, lost her battle with ALS. 

But since then her fiancé, Jim Carr, and others have kept her memory alive through the creation of the Elizabeth C. Grey Foundation.

Carr said a GoFundMe page was established prior to Beth’s death to help cover costs incurred from the disease.

The donations came not only from people locally but from people all over the country, many of whom Beth met at the Shannon View Inn, where she worked for many years.

“The outpouring of support was overwhelming,” Carr told the Warwick Beacon, in 2022, ahead of the foundation’s first fundraiser.

The foundation in Beth’s name was started with the funds left over from the fundraisers. The foundation has a goal of assisting in the rehabilitation of injured wildlife and rescues, something Beth cared about deeply, along with raising ALS awareness.

Since it was created, the foundation has donated more than $10,000, according to Carr.

Now the foundation hopes to raise even more funds through the annual “Always bet on Red” chili challenge at the Shannon View Inn.

Putting Others First

There’s a lot of positive qualities Carr admired about Beth, but above all was putting others first.

He recalled while she was the manager at the Z Bar, and the restaurant was closed for a while due to renovations. The staff wasn’t getting paid or collecting unemployment. To help out her staff, Beth took money out of her 401K to help pay for her employees’ bills. Carr would eventually learn that Beth was almost evicted herself because of late rental payments but it didn’t matter to her. She wanted others to be taken care of.

“She was spirited,” said Carr.

Now Beth’s compassion for others will be honored in an even more direct way, Carr said.

Helping People Directly

Since the foundation has been formed, Carr and others on the board have thought of innovative ways to help others.

Then a thought emerged: what if the foundation was able to help people battling ALS directly?

The board agreed.

Carr said the idea is for family, friends, and neighbors of people battling ALS to apply for donations through the organization, to pay for different things.

“We’re looking for families in the Rhode Island area,” Carr said. “We want to keep it in Rhode Island, that have family members who are going through ALS who may be in need of modest financial help for maybe a utility bill, a medical bill, maybe their van is broken down, that kind of thing.”

Carr said the funds raised during the event “really is the parameter about how much money we can give between May and our next event in September.”

Carr said tickets are $20 per person, and will include all you can eat chili, from the 20 different competitors.

Any of the funds raised will go towards directly helping people.

In September there will be a golf tournament hosted by the foundation, again, with the goal of raising funds to help those in need.

“We’re making a difference,” Carr said.

The “Always bet on Red” chili challenge will be held May 4, from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Shannon View Inn.

For more information visit elizabethcgreyfoundation.org

Editor’s Note: Alex Malm, who wrote this story, worked as a reporter for the Beacon before moving to Minnesota to be married and working for media outlets there. He wrote the story on the formation of the Elizabeth C. Grey Foundation published in the Beacon in March of 2022.