there are volumes. >> reporter: what is important is the work being done through the erin peterson fund. there is a fundraising gospel concert. the money is used for scholarships and a coat for kids project. peterson says she is following erin's example, always giving. >> it was easy for her. the way she was and how she helped. i used to say please don't give your money away. >> reporter: there will be no special remembrance, only a continued determination. >> i hope and pray that i continue to have the strength and health to be able to help people and to step in when i need to step in and just continue on like me to. >> if you are interested in buying a ticket to the april 29 concert or contributing in some other way go to our nbc washington app and search erin peterson. there will be a wreath laying and moment of silence on the virginia tech campus sunday morning in memory of erin and all of the other victims. we'll bring that to you live during our 9:00 a.m. hour of news 4 today. >>> new at 11:00, a good friday religious ceremony rarely seen outside of jerusalem called the burial of

. >> reporter: erin peterson was celeste and eric's only child. erin a freshman at virginia tech was one of th him. >> reporter: the deranged mentally ill student went to the same high school as erin where she was a star basketball player. >> she was a really happy kid. >> reporter: celeste and grafton's lives revolved around her. >> we were completely blown up, and we had to figure out how to put ourselves together. >> reporter: she and her husband briefly thought about suicide. they were brought back from despair from steadfast friends, especially cheryl lennox who refused to leave her side, even when there were no words. >> we would sit and say nothing without words for hours. >> reporter: shelby lennox and erin peterson remained close through high school, and so did their moms. >> i can call he the morning and i would say i'm broke down, come get me and she would say i'm right there. >> reporter: shelby's daughter was planning a wedding, and knew it had to include celeste and grafton. >> we wanted celeste to officiate. and we wanted grafton to

. >> reporter: memories of erin peterson are everywhere for her close friends and mother. >> she always greeted everybody with a big hug and a big smile. she was a real happy kid. it's like a bomb going off in your life and i was standing really close to her and the bomb went off. so we were completely blown up and we had to figure out how to put ourselves back together, you know, one piece at a time and in doing that you're preoccupied with putting yourself back together. what you don't realize is that in any bomb people who are standing close get hit by shrapnel. >> reporter: that shrapnel inflicted pain in so many, but slowly her close friends helped her get through with constant support. what did that mean to you? how did that help you looking back now? >> well, back then you don't know what it means to you, right? but now it meant everything to me, you know. >> reporter: peggy fox, wusa9. >> now celeste and her late husband started the nonprofit organization the erin peterson fund which provides scholarships and mentoring for at risk students at westfield high school. >>> d.c. poli

peterson posted this on facebook. at least half a dozen formers were actively reaching out to erin in the last week of her life.le to us but it was a very dark room. some don't find the light switch in time. moran was just 56. her on-screen mom, marion ross, remembering her as family. >> erin was always accessible to me, call me. treat me like i was her mother. >> reporter: but acknowledged erin kept troubles hidden. >> if she was in trouble, we would be the last to know. >> reporter: the fonz, henry winkler, told nbc, i will remember erin with her sweet smile. she will always be locked in my heart. on-screen brother, ron howard, tweeted, such sad, sad, news. r.i.p. erin. i'll remember you on our show, making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens. fondly remembering erin moran from the happier days. for "today", joe fryer, nbc news. >> that is sad news. >>> we have happier news right now. we can congratulate great people in the studio this morning. this year's new york women in communication scholarship winners. >> they are being recognized today at the matrix award. also, we should point out

after news of her death, paul peterson, an advocate for former child stars, posted this on facebook. "at least half a dozen formers were actively reaching out to erinurces available to us but it was a very dark room. some don't find the light switch in time." moran was just 56 and reaction to her death from friends and family poured in. erin's on-screen mom marion ross remembering her as family. >> erin was always accessible to me, call me, treat me like i was her mother. >> reporter: but acknowledged erin kept troubles hidden. >> if she was in trouble, we would be the last to know. >> reporter: the fonz told nbc "i will always remember erin with her sweet smile. she will always be locked in my heart." on-screen brother ron howard tweeted "such sad, sad news, rip erin, i'll choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting halves af laug lighting up tv screens." fondly remembering erin moran from the happier days. for "today," joe frida news. >> that sad news. >>> we have happier news now, this year's women in communications scholarship winners are here. >> they are being recognized at the annual matrix award. also being honored is o