Michelle Menner
Staff Reporter
One McDaniel alum turned personal tragedy into triumph through passionate philanthropic efforts that earned her a nomination and a spot as a finalist for Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year contest.Donna Bartos ’95 created the Purple Ribbon Council organization and Girls Night Out to Cut Out Domestic Abuse events to benefit domestic abuse survivors after she realized that she was a “silent victim.”
In August 2006, as Bartos sat at a “Cut it Out” event listening to stories of domestic abuse survivors she recalled the moment in which she understood that the painful relationship she endured throughout high school and college had a name: domestic abuse.
After attending that event, Bartos said she “felt obligated” to help women in similar abusive situations “to heal and deal.”
Bartos has worked determinedly for three years with “a lot of support” to form the volunteer-led Purple Ribbon Council and Girls Night Out salon and spa fundraising events to educate and “break the silence” about domestic abuse.
“It’s amazing filling a gap to do something that hasn’t been done before,” Bartos said.
Though the work has been “exhausting” at times, Bartos acknowledges that the organization is “picking up speed.” As of this year, the Girls Night Out event held on October 2 included 15 participating salons and spas across the nation, and next year there are already 30 host salons ready to get involved. Bartos’ hope is to reach the goal of partnering with one host salon or spa in every state.
Of course, Bartos is excited to hear that the girls of her former sorority, Alpha Nu Omega, are planning to organize a Girls Night Out event in Maryland for 2009.
Current Omegas Brenna Morin and Kaitlyn Parkins shared their words of support for Bartos.
“I feel that what Donna is doing and the message she is trying to convey is an amazing one. Domestic abuse is such a silent epidemic that is always looked over or not even thought of,” said Morin
Parkins added, “She embodies the ideals of our organization and is the kind of woman that we all strive to become.”
With a strong mission and voices growing louder each day against domestic abuse, Bartos is proud of her organization that “has inspired people to work together to ‘break the silence.'”
Visit Donna’s website at www.girls-night-out.org for more information.