It was a week before his wedding and it greatly impacted us - it still does today. Elijah Stepherson was a good man with a kind soul, in addition to being one of the most talented songwriters and music artists we have ever met. He was unique, incomparable and irreplaceable. We all miss him every day and Pensacola has lost an incredible member of the community.

His loss left us reeling, but it also highlighted a huge problem that is often overlooked - men’s mental health. It’s a problem for two particular reasons: cultural or societal pressure, and financial access. The first one can be discussed to no end, but the second one is a problem that we decided to address by starting The Campfire Fund of Florida, which provides access to counseling for those who cannot afford it. It’s named after our favorite song of Elijah’s, “Campfire”. Our entire lives we have seen and dealt with - firsthand - what unresolved mental health issues can become. We have lost or almost lost many friends and family because of it. It has affected us personally.

What started as an idea for a benefit concert has since evolved into the foundation for a nonprofit. Our timeline was very short this year and especially with conflicting schedules, but in the future we will be growing this into what it deserves and ultimately needs to be. We want our friends, families and many more to be able to get the help they need before it’s too late. We don’t want to bear another avoidable loss like Elijah.