Fight Back for Shannon Mac set for Friday
Like so many mothers who've experienced the loss of a child, Cindy McNamara remembers a particular prayer she repeated in the grief-stricken days that followed daughter Shannon's 2001 murder.
“I asked God to please, please, never let her be forgotten,” McNamara, of Rolling Meadows, said.
It's a safe bet that's not ever going to happen — not when more than half a million people have learned how to be their own best protectors through Girls Fight Back, an organization inspired by Shannon's own fight.
To help support the group, the 10th Annual Girls Fight Back for Shannon Mac will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday at Lamplighter Inn, 40 N. Bothwell St., Palatine.
Childhood friend Shannon Brown, who grew up in the same Rolling Meadows neighborhood as the McNamaras and participated in cheerleading with Shannon, is organizing the fundraiser.
“It's always a bittersweet night,” the Palatine resident said. “But it's wonderful to see what a legacy Shannon left and to know we're supporting such an amazing cause.”
The event used to be held at Slugger's in Wrigleyville, but Brown decided to move it to the suburbs now that many of Shannon's old classmates are leaving the city to start families.
Numerous raffle prizes are being offered including Cubs and White Sox tickets, memorabilia and certificates. There's no cost to attend, but donations are welcome.
Proceeds benefit Girls Fight Back, a Boulder, Colo., organization that empowers females across the globe through personal safety and self-defense education. It was founded by Shannon's sorority sister Erin Weed, who leads a team of speakers that share lessons on how to reduce the risk of violence, trust intuition and fight back.
For the McNamaras, the fundraiser is an uplifting reprieve from an especially difficult month.
Shannon, a star athlete at Rolling Meadows High School, frequent volunteer and aspiring physical education teacher, would have turned 32 today.
And June 12 marked the 10th anniversary of her brutal murder in an off-campus apartment at Eastern Illinois University. Authorities said it was obvious how hard she fought.
Earlier this year, Cindy McNamara made an unsuccessful plea to Gov. Pat Quinn to not sign legislation abolishing the state's death penalty, which ultimately commuted the sentence of Shannon's killer to life in prison without parole.
She said Shannon was the unfortunate recipient of evil in the world, but the work being done in her memory is a continual answer to her prayers. There's also a run/walk every fall to raise money for a scholarship in Shannon's name.
“Girls Fight Back is supplying girls with the knowledge and tools to not only fight back, but the powerful message about self-confidence and self-esteem,” Cindy McNamara said. “Bob (Shannon's father) and I never could have envisioned what this organization would become.”
If you go
What: 10th Annual Girls Fight Back for Shannon Mac Fundraiser
Where: Lamplighter Inn, 40 N. Bothwell St., Palatine
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 24
Cost: Free admission. A $27 open bar wristband is optional, with a portion benefiting Girls Fight Back
More info: Visit girlsfightback.com