'Justice For Gabby' bracelets being sold by family through charity founded in her name
Gabby Petito's family has officially launched a charity foundation in her name to support the movement for her justice. The Gabby Petito Foundation was unveiled on social media on Sunday evening, October 3, 2021. "The Gabby Petito Foundation is up and running!" read a message on the Twitter page of the foundation. Previously, Gabby's parents had proposed the idea of the foundation which would work towards helping families of missing people.
Amid rising curiosity about her death, speculations are rife that the cause of Gabby's death is yet to be ascertained by the autopsy or the information is being withheld by the police. Gabby's mother Nicole Schmidt and father Joseph Petito are eagerly awaiting the results of her autopsy, while her fiance Brian Laundrie is currently on the run. After launching the foundation, her family also started selling 'Justice For Gabby' bracelets for well-wishers and volunteers, who are aiding the family to seek justice for the slain 22-year-old. A few weeks ago, social media users slammed an e-commerce site for selling Gabby-themed merchandise. However, there has not been any negative reaction so far around the 'Justice For Gabby' bands.
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This is the Gabby Petito Foundation official twitter page. Sorry for the confusion as our page was being authenticated. Thank you all!! #gabbypetito #gabbypetitofoundation #justiceforgabbypetito
— Gabby Petito Foundation (@gabbsfoundation) October 4, 2021
Despite the overwhelming support, The Gabby Petito Foundation page got restricted on Twitter temporarily due to authentication issues. The family later clarified that there were several unauthorized pages of similar names, which delayed the authentication process from Twitter's side, hence causing the suspension.
Nicole Schmidt tweeted about the issue, saying, "So our Gabby Petito Foundation page has been restricted, this is most likely due to all the fake pages that have been made already. Please be aware of that and we will get this resolved. Thank you all! #gabbypetito #justiceforgabbypetito."
The page again became functional around 9:10 pm ET on Sunday. "This is the Gabby Petito Foundation official twitter page. Sorry for the confusion as our page was being authenticated. Thank you all!" the foundation tweeted later. You can also visit their website through this link. The website homepage features an illustration of Gabby Petito with angel wings and a halo above her head, as she appears to be flying in the clouds with white doves around. The page also informed visitors about an upcoming fundraiser benefit to be held on October 17 at the 89 North Music Venue and Blue Point Fire Dept in New York, between 1 pm to 7 pm. Guests are admissible with a minimum donation of $20.
Listed under products, one can find the 'Justice For Gabby' wristbands and bracelets in two colors, designs, and material variants. The basic blue one in rubber, with the words 'Justice For Gabby' embossed on it, costs $10 each. The price of the black metal bracelet has been fixed at $13. You can avail the products directly from their website via online order.
Earlier, Gabby's stepfather Jim Schmidt hinted about the foundation and said, "We’re just hoping that through our tragedy of losing Gabby that in the future that some good can come out of it, that we can help other people that may be in [a] similar situation. Social media was amazing and very influential, but to be honest it should continue for other people, too. This same type of awareness should be continued for everyone."