Before her death, Murfreesboro Police Officer Brittany Maxwell sought to provide Christmas trees for underprivileged families, and now, her friends and family are continuing her goodwill.

Appropriately named The Brittany Project, the foundation held a fundraiser in mid-November at Aura Lounge, located on Murfreesboro’s historic square.

Lounge owner Cary Kendall explained that Maxwell’s best friend Laura Hampton approached him about hosting the fundraiser, as Aura was one of their favorite hangouts.

“She mentioned us in Murfreesboro Magazine,” Kendall said, adding that Maxwell was recently featured in the Most Beautiful People edition. “We had also known her from Bluesboro; we had been acquaintances for years. She was a great girl.”

Local musicians donated performances, The Chef Place provided food, and several items were given for an auction. In total, the event raised $620, which Kendall estimates can provide 25 trees and lights for area families.

“Brittany’s mom and dad were here—we just had a great time,” he said.

Hampton explained how Maxwell asked for help in selecting a name for the project.

“We never came up with a good name, and now that she’s passed, it’s been named The Brittany Project,” she said.

“Before she passed away, she was really wanting to get Christmas trees to kids because where she worked, and because of the shift that she worked, she was around those kids a lot and got to know them and wanted to try and help them have a better Christmas.”

The decision to carry on her tradition—especially through a music-oriented fundraiser—seemed natural. During the event, Hampton got on stage to perform with fellow musician Lane Baker.

“She always tried to make me get over my stage fright and get up on stage to play shows,” Hampton continued. “This was my way of giving back to her.”

While she hasn’t completely decided if additional fundraisers will be held before Christmas, Hampton said she’d love to continue the tradition for years to come.