PRINCETON — Heartfelt words of sorrow were expressed online on Friday for a young woman who was taken from this world all too soon as the community marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Vanessa Marcotte, who was accosted while out for a jog and killed 10 years ago on Aug. 7, 2016.
“Today, we join our community in remembering Vanessa T. Marcotte and honoring her life,” wrote Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early. “Her legacy continues to inspire kindness, promote personal safety, and strengthen our communities.”
“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” said Vanessa Marcotte’s cousin Caroline Tocci, who is the co-founder of the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation that has worked hard to keep Vanessa’s memory alive and support positive causes in her memory.
“Obviously, we all miss Vanessa very much every day, especially with it being 10 years now. It seems like it was a lifetime ago but it also feels like it was just yesterday,” Vanessa’s cousin said, the emotion welling up in her voice.
She said members of the foundation and family and friends have been remembering Vanessa, adding that “In moments of grief we look to the support of others and we feel empowered by the work the foundation has done in Vanessa’s memory.
“She was such a kind, compassionate person. If this had happened to anyone else, she would have been out there doing the same thing.”
“The fact that her legacy lives on with the foundation makes me feel like she’s she here, even though sadly,” that’s not the case, Tocci said.
Tocci noted that when the members of the foundation thought of what to do for a fundraiser several years ago, they easily hit upon the idea of a holding a road race in Vanessa’s memory.
“She loved running and just being outdoors, so that was our first way to have a fundraiser.”
But the response was overwhelming, with other people wanting to remember Vanessa and celebrate her and her love of running.
“We were just blown away,” by the initial response, and in the first year they raised $90,000 to support the foundation, which runs self-defense training for women, mentorship and programming for young girls, boys programs such as gender equity program and promoting character-building skills and domestic violence programs.
For several years the response was a bit lower, but this past year it being the 10th anniversary of Vanessa’s death, Tocci said the road race raised $110,000 to keep Vanessa’s memory alive and support the programs being carried out to create the kind of world she would have wanted.
“She also volunteered,” Tocci noted, saying that while Vanessa was a 27-year-old Google employee living in New York City at the time, she spent Saturdays volunteering for Harlem Grown, a group that brought fresh fruits and vegetables to underprivileged kids in New York.
“Most 20somethings on their weekends, are not out volunteering. We feel like we’re honoring her when we’re helping others,” Tocci said.
A note online on Friday from the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office read, “Today marks 10 years since the devastating loss of Vanessa Marcotte. Vanessa’s life was taken in a random act of violence when she was just 27 years old. We are thinking of her family and friends. The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office is thankful for the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation for its continued advocacy and for celebrating Vanessa’s life by empowering others with personal safety and violence prevention skills.”
After the incident, Angelo Colon-Ortiz of Worcester was identified as the driver of the black SUV that had been seen in the area, near Brooks Station Road, less than a mile from the Marcotte house. In 2022, he pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court to second-degree murder and he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and won’t be eligible for parole until 2067.
Marcotte was visiting her mother in Princeton when she went out for a run before returning home. In a victim impact statement read in court at the time, her mother Rossana Marcotte told the courtroom she remembered Vanessa’s smile the day she left for a run and never returned.
“That is the last time I would see her lovely smile,” Rosanna Marcotte read. “When she smiled, I smiled … my heart was full.”
The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary and a decade of fundraising on June 20 at Wachusett Mountain for the nonprofits’ annual 5K run/walk.
The foundation’s mission is to empower women and help create a world free from objectification and harassment and the foundation has educated thousands of girls and women on boundary setting, situational awareness, and self-defense, and collaborates with youth-focused organizations on programs that address the root causes of violence.
“We are so proud of all we’ve accomplished in Vanessa’s honor to make the world a safer place,” said Tocci. “We’re grateful for the continued support of our caring community and we appreciate everyone who has helped to spread awareness of our mission. We look forward to building on our impact in the next decade to create lasting change.”
The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation Facebook page on Friday was filled with memories of Vanessa.
“At just 27 years old, her life was taken in a random act of violence. We continue to mourn her loss while honoring the way she lived — with kindness, curiosity, compassion, and a deep love for others,” read the foundation’s post.
“The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation was created to carry her legacy forward by empowering people with personal safety and violence prevention skills. Every training delivered, every conversation started, and every life touched is a reflection of Vanessa’s enduring impact. Thank you for helping us honor her memory.
“Today, we invite you to #Live4V by doing something Vanessa loved. Perform an act of kindness, spend time in nature, take a walk on the beach, practice yoga, connect with someone you care about, or simply do something that brings you joy in her memory.
“If you’re able, please consider making a gift in honor of Vanessa. Your support helps us reach more people with life-saving safety education and violence prevention programs, ensuring her legacy continues to make a difference.”
Donors were directed to https://vtmf.org/donate.
Comments on the Facebook page included a number of people still coping with the tragic death of a wonderful young woman.
Shared posts included:
“God bless her forever.”
“Thank you for keeping Vanessa’s light shining!”
“She was truly an earth angel … and she’s surely watching over you until you see her again.”
“I think about her often. I can’t imagine how hard this is. I love how you keep her beautiful spirit alive.”
Original article
Comments