By Emilie Trepanier
The number of murders committed by intimate partners has risen by 19 percent since 2014 (Holson, 2019). In the past, Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence has organized and executed the Angel Run. This year, we have changed the name to the Angel Fund in order to eliminate some confusion around whether or not people had to participate in an actual run in order to donate.
The BTSADV 2019 Angel Fund aims to carry out the most successful fundraiser yet and hopes to bring awareness to this issue through scholarships and more.
This year, the 2019 Angel Fund will be held from July 1st to 22nd and be 100% a virtual fundraiser as opposed to an actual 5k, as done in years past.
Four years ago, the first Angel Run was inspired by a woman named Mallory Murphy who ran 13 miles every day for 13 days to raise awareness about sexual assault. Kristen Faith, CEO and Founder of BTSADV, thought if one woman could make an impact like that, what could 20 women or more do? The Angel Run was created as a scholarship program and since 2015, BTSADV has given away 40 grand in scholarship money. Women, men, high school seniors, and master’s students alike have been eligible and granted these scholarships. Students attending community college or trade schools are also considered.
After being featured in a Survivor Story for BTSADV, Nanette Chezum felt her voice was validated and desired to become more involved in BTSADV. Since then, Nanette has been the Angel Fund Director, now in her third year of involvement in the event.
Nanette found her Angel while researching domestic violence statistics in January 2018. She came across the story of Tonie Nicole Lopez, who was murdered as a final act of domestic violence in December 2017.
“I was reading this article about her and…something about Tonie’s photo, she’s just a really really beautiful woman, and I could not stop staring at her,” Nanette said, explaining how she was drawn to Tonie.
She found Tonie’s social media pages and spent the evening getting to know her. She couldn’t stop thinking about Tonie, so she reached out to three of Tonie’s family members to offer her condolences and support. Three weeks later, Tonie’s aunt responded, and they spoke on the phone for an hour. Nanette asked if she could make an academic scholarship in Tonie’s name, and her family said yes. She found her Angel Family.
In May 2018, Nanette participated in a march in NYC in Tonie’s honor. She said that not a month goes by that she doesn’t speak with Tonie’s family. She said this process helped her better understand the process a family goes through when their loved one is murdered, and she wants Tonie’s voice to never be silenced or forgotten.
It was decided that this year the Angel wouldn’t be a 5k in Colorado Springs because this threw a layer of confusion for people who thought they had to create a 5k of their own or fly to Colorado Springs in order to be involved. Instead, the 2019 Angel Fund will be done on the fundraising platform, Mobile Cause.
Nanette said this year they were “going back to the heart,” she said that if people wanted to walk one mile for one day or 22 days in July, they are not required to but they totally can. She said their main focus is to give more time and effort into centering the event on Legacy Families.
This year, families will be featured in videos and blog posts telling stories about their Angels. These stories will be posted on BTSADV social media sites.
The goal is to find at least 22 Legacy Families to fundraise for. These academic scholarships awarded will range from $250 – $1,000.
If you wish to participate in this years’ Angel Fund, donations will be made public July 1st. For current BTSADV volunteers who want to join an Angel Fund team and fundraise for scholarships, reach out to Nanette via her e-mail found at the end of this article.
In order to be one of the first to hear about how to get involved in the Angel Fund, text BTS to 51555.
“I just want to encourage people to get involved with the Angel [Fund],” Nanette said, adding that if anyone has any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to her e-mail, nanette@breakthesilencedd.org.
