"Every year, it was emotional for us. We're still blown away by the fact that she was murdered. Every year, it was hard... but we needed to keep her memory alive."
In 2008, Mary Ann Brancaccio and Maria Vanni, owners of August Restaurant, lost their friend and employee Katie McCormick to domestic violence. Katie was shot to death by her boyfriend, who then killed himself.
Employees and regular patrons of August Restaurant were stunned. "There were signs and we had no idea," Mary Ann said.
In honor of Katie, and to raise funds and awareness of domestic violence, Mary Ann and Maria began hosting the “Katie Dinner” at August Restaurant. For over ten years, Mary Ann and Maria have organized a dinner with a raffle and a performance by jazz artist Jacqui Naylor. Proceeds from the Katie Dinner and the raffle are donated to Women In Transition (WIT).
In October 2017, the Katie Dinner was held for two nights. It was their last dinner as August Restaurant. Mary Ann and Maria have closed a chapter in their lives: August Restaurant shut its doors after being a staple in the community for 14 years. But not having a restaurant hasn’t stopped this tradition. In October 2018, Mary Ann and Maria hosted the 10th Annual Katie Dinner at Con Murphy’s Irish Pub, raising over $2,000 in memory of their dear friend.
"We had said to people, 'This is the last dinner we're doing, but we still want people to remember to give for domestic violence resources and raise awareness for it. It still exists."
Today, the Katie dinner tradition continues…
We at WIT are extremely grateful to Mary Ann and Maria for their years of support. Thank you for standing with us against domestic violence, and for the honor of remembering Katie with the community of August Restaurant.
Join Mary Ann and Maria and support WIT's lifesaving services.
Contact us at donate@helpwomen.org or 215.564.5301 x125 about making a gift or organizing a fundraiser to benefit WIT.