The second annual “Empty Place at the Table” fundraising event for Jana’s Campaign was held on September 28th at the Robbins Center in Hays. The night featured a dinner, cocktails, an auction and live music, with a ceremonial reserved empty seat.
Dr. Christie Brungardt, Jana’s mother said, “The event signifies that place that is left when someone is killed as a result of domestic violence. That is what happened to our daughter, and so we decided that that would be a fitting event for us to hold.”
She also said, “It [the empty seat] is symbolic of the massive struggles that tragedies like ours cause within a family and the void that leaves.”
Jana’s Campaign was created by the family and friends of Jana Mackey, a KU law student from Hays, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2008. The mission of the organization is to reduce gender and relationship violence by focusing in on preventing violence before it happens as well as educating individuals on the dangers of violence, according to the Jana’s Campaign website.
For more information about Jana’s Campaign, visit www.janascampaign.org.