FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Nearly 1,500 people gathered at the Fresno Convention Center Wednesday for The Marjaree Mason Center’s Top Ten Professional Women Awards.
As honorees were awarded for their service to the community video screens gave the crowd a glimpse into each of their stories.
Among those watching: Gabby Petito’s mom and stepdad.
Petito was just 22 years old when she was murdered at the hands of her fiancé during a cross-country trip in 2021.
Her body was found in Wyoming.
The young travel blogger’s story gripped the nation, and the world.
“Gabby is not just a Netflix documentary. Gabby represents so many other young people out there — or people in general — who have been lost to domestic violence, or who have survived it,” Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, told Action News.
Nichole and Jim Schmidt were this year’s keynote speakers.
They shared that it takes a collective effort to curb domestic violence.
“We have to change our culture. We have to make women feel safe. We have to stand up and call these bad characters out. Because you’re right, it’s not all men. The majority of us are good men. But it takes us good men to call out the bad men to make change,” said Jim Schmidt while at the podium.
“We all can learn from these stories. We can learn to recognize the signs. We can learn how to help someone, how to talk to someone, how to ask the right questions,” Nichole Schmidt said during her speech.
The Schmidts say part of honoring Gabby’s legacy is partnering with organizations like The Majaree Mason Center.
The non-profit provides education to prevent domestic violence and resources to help victims become survivors.
That is something that is especially important in Fresno, where there are more of those calls to law enforcement than any other county in California.
But it’s a big expense, and the center can’t do it alone.
“Community support through events like these are really what allow us to continue serving survivors at the volume that we do,” said Ashlee Wolf, Philanthropy and Communications Director at the Marjaree Mason Center.
Though Gabby’s life ended in tragedy, her family says it’s not too late to save countless others.
“Although her story garnered worldwide attention, there’s tens of thousands of other Gabbys out there right now experiencing the same thing. And we need to come together to support them,” Jim Schmidt said.
The Marjaree Mason Center is asking for your continued support. Click here to donate.
If you are the victim of domestic abuse, or you know someone who is, there is help available 24/7. In Fresno County, call the Marjaree Mason Center at (559) 233-4357. In all other locations, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.
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