She changed lives with her passion for coffee. Amy Erickson, one of Caribou Coffee’s first roast masters, influenced the employees of Caribou to “achieve coffee perfection in everything [they] do,” writes friend Chad Trewick, “she touched so many lives during her short time with us.”

After her passing in 1995 of breast cancer, Caribou decided to commemorate Erickson by producing a special blend in her name. Caribou has successfully brought back this blend of coffee annually in remembrance of everything Erickson brought to the company, this is now its fifth year in Caribou stores. Trewick writes “Amy was warm and energetic; she always made whomever she was talking to feel important.”

Erickson’s mom, Marty Erickson, is still touched by the effort Caribou continues to make every year to support her daughter and what she stood for. She said “every time I look at the label on Amy’s Blend I get a little choked up…it makes me very proud of Caribou, who after all these years, inspires this kind of value in their employees.”

The blend took a couple years to perfect and is specifically balanced to form a “bright, invigorating, and citrusy” taste. “Amy’s Blend is a specialty coffee,” said Jeff Makepeace, a team manager for the Caribou at the General Mills location, “it demonstrates Erickson’s vivid personality and her passion for life.”

To support the search for a cure to breast cancer, Caribou donates ten percent of all proceeds from Amy’s Blend merchandise and Caribou’s Lite White Berry drink to the Susan G. Komen foundation, a research center for breast cancer. Such merchandise includes a one pound package of regular coffee ($14.99), travel coffee mug ($14.99), water bottle ($9.99), coffee mug ($7.99), and a new Amy’s Blend gift set which packages the coffee and mug for $19.99. During this four-week period in October, customers also have the chance to donate a package of coffee that will then go to a specific charity chosen by that store. Such as the Caribou off of Cedar Lake Road, each package of coffee donated there will be sent to the breast cancer foundation, Chest of Hope.