FREEHOLD – The Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation hosted its yearly vendor fair in the parking lot of the Freehold Raceway Mall, as various vendors with different products to sell lined the parking lot to sell their products and show their support for the foundation. The foundation itself is dedicated to helping support victims of domestic violence while simultaneously spreading education and awareness about it.
The foundation was started by the family of Stephanie Parze, who was killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend in 2019. According to the foundation’s website, Parze was a student athlete, a talented artist, and a compassionate, loyal friend to everyone she met. She was killed by her ex-boyfriend, and it took over 87 days to find her. The ex-boyfriend took his own life shortly after search parties began to form to find Parze after he was released from jail on unrelated charges. The organization was set up in her honor to provide aid to those in a similar situation going forward.
According to the foundation’s website, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. The foundation has several ways to help and educate victims. One service they provide is called the Angel Alert System, which is a wireless panic button that will contact the police and give them an exact location. Their education outreach includes training classes and speaking engagements, among other things.
The event itself included various vendors, including art, food and live music. One such vendor was Happy Arts Projects, which is a one-person art company run by Heath Pearce. Pearce specializes in drawings of various anime characters and other characters that come from various forms of media, and makes commissioned art for customers through his various social media platforms.
According to Pearce, his passion for art started at a young age, and he is happy that he can use his talents to help promote a cause such as the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation. Those who are looking to find out more about his art or are looking to commission his work can do so by contacting Happy Arts Projects on Instagram.
The live music at the vendor fair was provided by Embers the band, Alex Chernick, and Rocking for Inclusion. Rocking for Inclusion is a registered nonprofit that brings together individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities and their neurotypical peers through the universal language of music. By fostering both musical and social integration, RFI creates a unique band that exemplifies the enriching power of inclusive collaboration.
Several other organizations that are well known, both locally and nationally, came out to support the event. Jersey Freeze, an ice cream shop that is a staple in Freehold, had a setup while 107.1 the Boss played music for those first walking into the fair. Another local restaurant at the fair was Four Boys by the Shore, while a few national brands, such as Chick-fil-A, had booths set up as well.
