“Casey was very important to us and the community,” said Mayor Robert Zimmerman of Casey Power, who died at the hands of her boyfriend.
The Mantua committee passed a proclamation at its meeting on May 12 that honors a late former resident and aims to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Casey Power was murdered by her boyfriend at their home in 2021. She was 25.
“This (the proclamation) is very, very important to us,” said Mayor Robert Zimmerman. “Casey was very important to us and the community. We hope to be able to do this each year.”
Power’s family runs a charitable foundation in her name that raises funds to aid survivors of abuse and pays for scholarships to high-school seniors who pursue teaching degrees. Though Power was not a teacher, the funds in her name will benefit students at Clearview Regional and Washington Township high schools.
The foundation raised $17,000 last year, according to the township. They hosted the fourth annual Casey Power Foundation 5K at Chestnut Branch Park last month.
“Casey was a beautiful person inside and out,” the foundation’s website says. “She never had a bad thing to say and always had a smile on her face. Her smile was contagious, spreading to all she crossed paths with, whether at her job or passing by.”
The proclamation was presented to Power’s mother, Maryanne, and the foundation’s president, Janine Graham.
“You’ve turned such a tragic event in your family into something positive, and you’re doing good things,” Zimmerman noted of the duo. “I’m sure that’s what keeps you going and Casey always close to your heart.”
“We would also like to share our ongoing heartfelt sympathy with Casey Power’s family,” Zimmerman announced, “including her parents, Maryanne and Dave Power; her sister, Jessica; her brother, Matthew; and her son, Bentley.
“Maryanne has taken this terrible tragedy and has mustered up the strength and energy to help others through the Casey Power Foundation in Casey’s honor,” he added. “We are truly grateful for Maryanne and her family’s ongoing efforts.”
