When Connie Beatty talks about her late daughter, the smile that naturally takes over would light up a room.
The Quinte West resident invited Quinte News to her home to discuss how she is hoping the memory of her daughter never fades.
On Saturday (May 23 in Wooler) Beatty is hosting a fundraising event for MADD Canada, which she says would be an event Rebecca would love.
It is called A MADD Hatter, a focus on one of her favourite movies, Alice in Wonderland.
MORE BELOW
Victoria (l), Connie (r) and Mark Beatty welcoming guests to a MADD Hatter Old Fashioned Tea Party
Twenty-two-year-old Rebecca Beatty from Quinte West and her friend, 23-year-old Anastasia Collins from Belleville, were killed in a crash in Quinte West in October 2021.
They were hit by an impaired driver.
“You go to a place where you’re numb. It just seems so surreal that this happened. When you think of this, you hear it on the news and it’s someone very distant. You hear it on the radio, you see it on the movies. On October 3 (2021), two OPP officers showed up at my door at 5 o’clock-ish and they turned our world upside down.”
She tells us the sorrow led her to search for answers
“This devastating feeling that I had is like, how do I go on? How do you go on when a member of your family, a living creature that I brought into this world, is taken away from me? It is such a horrifying feeling that I don’t want anybody else going through this.”
“When someone makes these choices, to choose to drink, but doesn’t plan ahead how they’re going to get home, puts others and innocent bystanders in jeopardy. Not to mention themselves. I don’t think they’re realizing that whatever dreams and hopes and aspirations they have, they’re gone.”
Beatty says the emptiness she feels is pushing her towards advocacy, awareness, and fundraising for MADD Canada, which she says has been incredible.
MORE BELOW
Connie Beatty says the OPP have been an incredible support system for her.
We asked Connie to describe her daughter.
“Artistic, she loved to bake. She had gone to George Brown. She took the Pastry Management course and graduated with honors. She wanted to open up her own bakery one day. She did have her own little business called The Delphinium Cake Designs. She had huge aspirations, huge goals, oved to travel. Wanted to have even a food truck. Her future was like an oyster. She loved animals, she wanted to have an animal sanctuary because we had property. She wanted to have her own little place.”
She says Saturday is not about being sombre, but fun and fundraising.
“Rebecca loved Disney and she loved Alice in Wonderland. I’m having a Madd Hatter Mother’s Day tea party. How best do you represent Madd Canada? A high tea on my dining room table, all the little sandwiches, all of the little desserts. Then the tone for Madd Canada is to generate funds for them.”
There will be items available for auction as well.
If you wish to donate or inquire about last minute tickets contact – Conniebeatty333@gmail.com
The event is taking place just west of Wooler.
