Fundraiser for Peters Township woman raises money, awareness about domestic violence
The Pups & Pints fundraiser Aug. 6, hosted by Fireside Beauty Bar and Refined + Co. at Peterswood Park to raise money for Peters Township resident Jen Pardini and to raise awareness about domestic violence, was aptly named.
Over the course of the afternoon, hundreds of people, many accompanied by their dogs – from Goldendoodles, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Great Danes to shih tzus, Pomeranians and mutts – turned out for the event to show support for Pardini, who works at Fireside and Refined + Co.
“I’m completely floored. I’m overwhelmed. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how many people showed up today,” said Laurie Brain, owner of Fireside. “The outpouring of support in this community has been overwhelming. There are so many people I need to thank, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it in a lifetime.”
The Peters Township community and beyond has rallied around Pardini since she was brutally attacked with a hammer on July 8 and suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken jaw and a fractured skull. Her ex-boyfriend is charged in the attack.
At Sunday’s fundraiser, some of Pardini’s family – with Pardini’s beloved Goldendoole, Riley, in tow – manned a booth where they sold homemade dog treats, custom koozies, and purple bracelets, dog treats, while other family members spent the day by Pardini’s side in a brain trauma rehabilitation facility.
“The amount of support has been amazing through all of this. Everyone’s coming together for Jen,” said Pardini’s sister, Brittani.
The fundraiser featured music by Scott Blasey of The Clarks and the Local Buzz.
Food trucks, local breweries and wineries provided food and beverages, and sweets and baked goods vendors were on site.
Dozens of kids played in bounce houses and took part in a variety of activities, and a puppy photo booth and more than 65 Chinese auction items were available.
Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania also provided resource materials.
The event is expected to raise thousands of dollars for Pardini, 26.
Pardini is expected to face a long road to recovery. She is undergoing several therapies, including cognitive, physical, and speech therapy.
More surgeries are planned, including brain surgery to repair her skull when brain swelling subsides.
“It’s still a long road ahead, but she is doing incredibly. The doctors are amazed by the progress she has made and continues to make,” said Carly Konopka, general manager of Refined + Co. and a close friend of Pardini’s. “She’s a fighter and she’s going to turn it into a positive. I know she will.”
Konopka described Pardini as “an amazing human being.”
“That shows, with all of the support she is getting,” Konopka said.
Brain said one of the goals of the event is to make people aware that domestic violence can happen anywhere.
“You never think something like this will happen in your community; well guess what, it did and we’re not going to shut up about it. We’re going all in with this,” said Brain. “I definitely plan on jumping on board with domestic violence awareness. We’re going to try to do anything we can do to help.”
Marian Corkos of Peters Township, who did not know Pardini, brought her dog, JoJo, and wanted to show support for the young woman.
“Since I got here, I can’t stop crying. As a parent, it hit me. It’s terrible that it happened,” she said.
Maura Johnson, a clinical social worker at Cranberry Psychological Center in McMurray, who brought her daughter and her daughter’s friend to the fundraiser, has been impacted by domestic violence.
Johnson’s aunt, Janice Erickson, was shot and killed in a domestic violence incident in April 2018 in Brockway.
According to Leslie Orbin of DVSSWA, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men aged 18 and older in the United States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Intimate partner violence affects more than 12 million people every year.