Patty Duke Sean Astin
After Patty Duke’s death, her son Sean Astin is raising money to continue her work in mental health advocacy. The two are pictured at the Capitol Hill Spotlight Awards on March 30, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Getty Images

Sean Astin is making sure his mother, Patty Duke, is remembered. The “Lord of the Rings” actor announced on Twitter that he’ll need fans’ help to pay tribute to the late actress.

Astin, 45, announced on Thursday that there will be a moment of silence at the #Run3rd 5k run. The event allows people to dedicate their runs to various causes or loved ones. The run will take place in Mesa, Arizona, but there is a virtual participation option for those who aren’t in the area.

A moment of silence isn’t the only way Astin is honoring his mother. He is also hosting a fundraiser to start the Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative. “Before her passing, before the suffering became too great, we talked about how the core mission of her mental health work might continue beyond her life,” Astin wrote on Crowdrise. “This initiative will fuel a multi-level approach to achieving results for those suffering with mental illness, and for their families and communities. Public awareness campaigns, lobbying efforts, and supporting a multitude of mental health programs big and small will be organized, prioritized and vigorously pursued.”

As previously reported, Duke died Tuesday at age 69. The actress, whose given name was Anna Marie Duke, died of sepsis caused by a ruptured intestine. Hours after her death, Astin posted a statement to his Facebook page: “This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna PATTY DUKE Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place. We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life.”

Duke was best known for her role as Helen Keller in 1962’s “The Miracle Worker,” for which she won an Oscar, and her 1963 TV program “The Patty Duke Show.” She worked on various acting projects until her death, and she was also a mental health advocate after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“This [1982] bipolar diagnosis was a watershed,” Astin told Entertainment Tonight. “Now she had a new identity and a whole new mission — a whole new sense of purpose — and that was to share what she had gone through with other people.”

Check out the fundraiser for the Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative HERE.

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