Drive-Bye band donates $1,000 to ECAP at FSU Panama City

The teenage members of a Panama City Beach band presented a check for $1,000 to the Early Childhood Autism Program at FSU Panama City on Wednesday. The funds were raised during a concert at Angry Tuna Seafood in Panama City Beach and will be used to bolster scholarships for ECAP clients.

“We offer this scholarship so families don’t have to worry about covering the price of their therapy,” said ECAP Assistant Director Kolton Sellers. “If they can’t afford it, then they can apply for the scholarship. And our donors in the community, such as the Merritt family today, help to support that mission.”

Drive-Bye was formed by Samuel Merritt, 17, and his brother, Levi Merritt, 15, in 2024. Samuel plays lead and rhythm guitar, while Levi plays drums. Both provide vocals. They are assisted on bass by Earle Eadie and Jamie McEachin, and on select songs by their father, Frank Merritt, on rhythm guitar and drums. Frank Merritt is a retired physician who has served on the Bay Medical Center board and the Bay Health Foundation.

“We just wanted to be a positive example and hopefully have a positive impact with the platform with this band,” Samuel Merritt said. “We wanted to do something for autism because we have a lot of friends and families who’ve been affected by that.”

ECAP, the only non-profit program of its kind in the Panhandle to provide in-home and in-clinic services, serves children diagnosed with developmental delays or disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and intellectual disability. For more information on ECAP, visit pc.fsu.edu/ecap.