From Tragedy, Hope: Fundraiser Aims to Build Safe Haven for Moms

Alisha Bromfield and her unborn daughter Ava died Aug. 19, 2012; now, their family is working to spread kindness in their memory.

It’s been two years since Alisha Bromfield was murdered — her life snuffed out just months before she was to give birth to her first child, a girl she had already named Ava Lucille.

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But the Plainfield 21-year-old’s legacy lives on through acts of kindness done in her name — a way for family and friends to combat the evil of the day she was taken from them.

Now, through an effort dubbed the “Purple Project” (a nod to Alisha’s favorite color), a new initiative is taking shape. A Sept. 20 fundraiser dubbed “Bowling for Hope” is set for Saturday, Sept. 20 at Town & Country Lanes, 2231 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

Family friend Christine McGovern said organizers hope to establish The Alisha and Ava Bromfield House of Hope as a safe haven for unwed mothers and their babies.

According to the Purple Project website:

“They will live in the home while we help them learn skills they will need to succeed when they are on their own. We will provide their basic needs, including food, shelter, counseling, spiritual guidance and other support. We will help them with life skills training and counseling, get the medical care they need, finish high school or go to college and follow the dreams they have for their life.”

McGovern said it could take up to five years to develop plans and create the partnerships necessary to make the House of Hope a reality.

The initiative is another way family members are spreading kindness in Alisha’s memory, in the hopes of planting the seeds of kindness that will grow as House of Hope residents move forward in their lives, McGovern said.

“Great things can be accomplished through hope and love,” she added.

Bowling for Hope

Tickets for the Sept. 20 bowling fundraiser are $30 per person, which includes bowling, appetizers, pizza and soft drinks.

The event, set for 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., will include raffles, a 50/50, a DJ and cash bar.

McGovern said donations of raffle items are also appreciated. To make a donation, call 773-852-0739 or email PurpleProject8@gmail.com.

Tickets to the Sept. 20 fundraiser are available online.

Never forgotten

Alisha is gone, but she is not forgotten. Her mother, Plainfield resident Sherry Anicich, led the charge to strike down a Wisconsin law that allowed Alisha’s killer to use intoxication as a defense during his murder trial.

Anicich also launched a campaign to “Pay it Forward” with acts of kindness in memory of Alisha and Ava, to prove that good prevails over evil.

In addition to the House of Hope, a baby items drive has been established in Alisha’s name to help moms-to-be in need. The Joliet Junior Woman’s Club has also created a scholarship in memory of the Joliet Catholic Academy graduate.

Click here for more information on the baby drive, and visit the website to learn more about the Alisha and Ava Bromfield Memorial Community Scholarship.

In addition to the House of Hope initiative, the Bowling for Hope fundraiser will benefit the Alisha and Ava Lucille Memorial Baby Drive and scholarship.