He was only 20 years old, but he left a legacy that his friends and relatives are trying to preserve through the Waccamaw boat landing that bears his name, an annual hunting expedition and a college scholarship.

Though he was young, Chris left a big impact on the community.

``He was a well-thought-of young man, very popular,'' said Craig Campbell, a family friend.

One of Chris' favorite sayings was: ``You have to stand for something, or you will fall for anything.''

Chris, who was from North Myrtle Beach, was the son of James Anderson, a retired detective with the Horry County Police Department. Like his father, Chris was an avid sportsman, hunter and fisherman. He was a member of Ducks Unlimited and the Long Bay Hunting Club, and was a certified diver.

Chris had been an enthusiastic participant in an annual Thanksgiving camping trip on the Waccamaw River with his father's friends and their sons since he was 5 years old. Campbell remembers those times well.

``He was with the younger outfit, and we were the old guys. After the hunt, we'd have a cook-out, and Chris would be right there with all the boys who loved the outdoors,'' Campbell said.

Campbell, a game warden with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, watched Chris grow up. Even after Chris finished high school, Campbell saw him often because Chris spent so much time hunting and fishing.

Campbell's favorite memory of Chris comes from an earlier time. ``His father and I were football coaches for the City of Myrtle Beach, the PeeWee League,'' Campbell said. ``Chris and my son Josh played on that team, and we coached them. They were younger, 9 and 10 maybe. The fondest memory I have is watching those two little guys play football. They won the championship one year.''

Tragic death

Chris was stabbed in September 1996 at a popular gathering place for teens under the U.S. 17 bridge in Little River.

His father, James Anderson, said his son was at the boat landing spending time with friends.

``There was a group that always gathered up there on Friday and Saturday night,'' Anderson said. ``One of the kids hollered for help, and Chris took off running to him. A guy jumped him and started stabbing him.''

Chris died on the operating table the next morning while a surgical team worked to try to save his life. His assailant is serving a prison sentence of 11 years, 6 months.

Last year, S.C. legislators passed legislation to help keep Chris Anderson's memory alive along his cherished Waccamaw River. State Sen. Dick Elliott, D-NMB, who is an old friend of the Anderson family, sponsored the bill for a new boat landing.

``It was really a shock to us,'' James Anderson said. ``When they started building that landing, our friends in the community got the idea to name it after Chris because he loved the river so.''

The new Waccamaw River boat landing was officially designated the Chris Anderson Memorial Landing at Highway 9 in Bill 355, which passed Jan. 19, 1999.

Chris Anderson also is remembered with an annual hunting expedition. Held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the annual dove hunt has been a successful fund-raiser for the Chris Anderson Memorial Scholarship Fund. Last year's hunt was at the farm of Larry and Wanda Saunders on Bear Bluff Road in Conway.

``The participation has been great,'' Campbell said. ``We've had over 100 hunters, and people come just to support the fund. We have raffles and auctions, as well.''

Each year, a North Myrtle Beach High School student is selected to receive the scholarship. Selection is based on academic status and financial need.

The decision is made by the fund's board of directors, which consists of Peggy Anderson (Chris' mother), Gordon Harris, Tony Sexton, Linda Fowler (Chris' aunt), Jennifer Beronja, and Campbell, the fund president.

The scholarship fund has a balance of about $52,000. The board's long-term goal is to have enough money so that the fund is self-supporting.