Chocolate Chronicles

Cara Cusson Jablonski

Keeping Auntie Joanie's Memory Alive

Cara began fundraising for and attending the Hot Chocolate Run about 10 years ago in honor of her Auntie Joanie, who was killed in a domestic violence homicide at 27. Cara says that "participating felt like a small but meaningful way that I could try to make a difference for current survivors in memory of her." She started as a walker and has been joined by family members over the years, running as Team Cusson for the last few years. Cara hopes that "Team Cusson's participation shows that even after a tragic outcome, there are still ways, no matter how small, to ensure that a loss wasn't in vain."

Cara grew up never knowing her Auntie Joanie, but she understood the impact that her death had on her family. When Cara herself became an aunt, she "fully realized the extent of the relationship that my brothers and I had been robbed of because of her death." Auntie Joanie's death has made her family "more motivated to fundraise, volunteer, and participate knowing exactly what the people that Safe Passage supports could be going through." Each year, supporting Safe Passage is their way of working toward a world where other families don't have to experience the same loss and where survivors can find a pathway to safety. 

Joan Cusson

Cara's family considers the Hot Chocolate Run to be a "supportive and hopeful event." They appreciate how "all sorts of people" participate, including other families who have lost loved ones to domestic violence, survivors themselves, and people who simply want to show up for the cause. She notes how, even though "it can be a little emotional," the "atmosphere is always so joyful" on the day of the run.

For the last few years, Team Cusson has worn t-shirts to the Hot Chocolate Run with "In Memory of Joan Cusson" printed on the back. The shirts have invited questions from other runners about who Joanie was. Cara remembers one woman saying "may her memory be a blessing" after hearing her story. "Having people ask about her is a reminder that though we can't bring her back, we can keep her memory alive and do something positive in her honor."

Keep her memory alive. Make a difference.

Cara never got to know her Auntie Joanie, but she refuses to let her be forgotten. Each year, Team Cusson laces up, wears their shirts, and answers questions from strangers who want to know about the woman whose life was cut short at 27. In doing so, they turn tragedy into purpose and remind us all that no loss is ever in vain.

You can do the same. Register for the Hot Chocolate Run, start a team, and fundraise in memory of someone you love or simply because you believe every survivor deserves a pathway to safety. Your donations to Safe Passage help families stay whole, children keep their aunts, and communities heal.

One participant asked Cara to pass along a blessing: "May her memory be a blessing." By fundraising and showing up, you become part of that blessing.

Sign up today. Wear her name. Make sure her story is not the end, but the beginning of something better.

Support Cara and her mission here: p2p.onecause.com/hcr2026/cara-cusson