Mom Hopes To Create Unique Girls' Camp In Honor Of Slain Daughter

MILFORD, CT — On Aug. 26, Maren Sanchez would have turned 21 if she were still alive. It's been four and a half years since Maren, 16, was fatally stabbed inside Jonathan Law High School. Since then Maren's mother, Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez, has made it her mission to ensure her daughter's legacy of kindness and compassion will never fade away.

And while Aug. 26 will undoubtedly be a painful day for Cimarelli-Sanchez, she's planning a big milestone birthday celebration and fundraiser to honor her daughter. A GoFundMe page has been created with a goal of raising $21,000 by Aug. 26 to help get the ball rolling for a girls camp to help empower them both physically and emotionally.

Cimarelli-Sanchez says she wants to create this unique 'Maren Sanchez Girls Camp' as a way of trying to ensure nothing like what happened to Maren happens to any other young women. Already $6,800 has been raised toward the $21,000 goal. More than 200 people have made donations. Organizers are hoping to get 1,000 people to donate $21 and have launched a social media campaign called #21forMaren.

>>>Go directly to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.

Cimarelli-Sanchez told Milford Patch that the girls camp will teach "them the truth about risks. They learn how to look for, avoid, and take action around bullying, manipulation, assault, and intimidation. They take our Her-Self Defense class, which is already a proven success and empowered many young women. We see a future where girls and young women leave our camp and take their empowerment, self-confidence, and knowledge home to communities around the globe. They help educate and empower others in their families, schools, sports, teams, and playgrounds. And we help shape a global movement to safeguard our young people and give power to positivity."

Funds raised will go toward purchasing land and creating a physical camp. She said no location has been selected currently.

She said she wants to create a girls camp because "there's not a lot of places girls can learn that they're in danger and how to keep themselves safe. We need to empower them. This has the potential to save their lives or the lives of someone else. It will teach them to be aware if they see something off and how to help friends in need."

The camp honors her daughter's memory because "Maren was all about helping people and making sure people felt good about themselves. Everything Maren did for others, I'd like to see offered in this camp," Cimarelli-Sanchez said.

Since her daughter's death, Cimarelli-Sanchez has traveled all over the state speaking at schools and colleges about the need to empower young women and to offer tips on how they can keep themselves safe.

She said the camp is timely in light of the growing "Me Too" movement.

"Because of the "Me Too" movement women are rising up, and they want their daughters to do so as well," Cimarelli-Sanchez said. "Women have a voice, and they're not going to not be heard now, it's very important to Maren that people are empowered."

Cimarelli-Sanchez created the Maren Sanchez Home Foundation after her daughter's death and the camp would be a new extension of the foundation's work.

See related: Maren Sanchez's Legacy Lives On With Mother's Mission

"Maren’s energy lives on stronger than ever. It touches more people than ever. And we are using that energy to change the world. We educate young women and parents about topics like bullying, manipulation, and assault. We train people to be life savers, and not bystanders," the GoFundMe page states. "In other words, we EMPOWER. We empower families, so they don’t have to endure the loss and pain of Maren’s family. We empower people to take situations that are brutal and cruel, and turn them back into safe places."

Cimarelli-Sanchez said there are a few things she'd like people to do to help the camp become a reality.

"1. Join our cause and support our work with just $21 right now. Help us create this magical camp.

2. Share this campaign on social media. Use the hashtag #21forMaren.

3. Talk to people about this campaign. Tell people who knew Maren. Tell parents who want to educate and safeguard girls and young women."

>>>Again, you can visit the GoFundMe page directly here.

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Photos contributed by Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez