Cate Edwards

My Mother, Elizabeth Edwards, and the Tapestry of Hope She Left Behind

In her speech, Cate Edwards poignantly describes her mother’s life as a tapestry, woven of the people running through it: the people she touched, whose perspectives she changed, whose lives she changed, and those who changed hers. Cate has said that her mother “never liked the word legacy; it seemed too much to live up to. She preferred the word story. Mom wanted the story she left behind to be worth telling. And it is.” In May 2011, Cate started the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, which is focused on serving others, and is a way to spread Elizabeth’s story and provide outreach in her memory.

In May 2011, Cate Edwards left her job as an attorney to start the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation as a way to spread her mother’s story and reach out in her memory. As President of the Foundation, Cate works with a network of advisers who were close to Elizabeth in order to keep the core of the program focused on three things that were dear to her mother’s heart—mentorship, advocacy and service. The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation follows the example that Elizabeth Edwards set. Their mission is to identify kids who show great potential but have limited support and resources, and give them the kind of encouragement, support and tools that they need to reach that potential. Cate and the Foundation are focused on honoring the legacy of Elizabeth Edwards' passion for positive action and compassion for others through the Foundation and its Programs.

To find out more about the Foundation visit:  www.elizabethedwards.org.