It has been close to a year since a Cary mother disappeared, only to be found murdered.

Nancy Cooper's husband, Brad, told police she had gone for a run and never came home; she was found a few miles from home a couple days later.

Brad Cooper was eventually arrested and charged with strangling his wife.

Saturday night, friends and family of Nancy Cooper held a gala event, hoping to channel their grief into something productive: Nancy's Butterfly Fund is their attempt at taking something good out of something tragic.

Supporters turned out in droves, more than 400 total, all with the goal of helping victims of domestic violence.

"I was just overcome with emotion that the community's pulled together in such support for such a great cause," said Nancy's friend, Susan Crook, who helped organize the event.

Nancy's family said they were amazed with the job her friends did putting the night together, and glad they could be a part of something positive.

"We were given a unique opportunity to do something for a social problem that was significant and that should be dealt with," said Nancy's father, Garry Rentz.

He added that he even felt a responsibility to do something because of the attention his daughter's murder has gotten.

Organizers say they're just happy to have something positive to focus on.

"I was so overcome with so much grief for so long, and it is like I turned all of that -- I just poured it into this," said Hannah Prichard, another of Nancy's friends.

They originally hoped to raise $10,000 this first year, but Nancy's friends had more than doubled that before Saturday's gala even started.

Consider the fact that they still had proceeds from a silent auction, last-minute donations, and ticket sales to tabulate, and that number will likely climb even higher.

For Interact, the women's shelter that Nancy's Butterfly Fund is working with, the financial impact is only part of the goal.

"We also have more people walking through our doors and calling our crisis lines and showing up at our new center," said Executive Director Adam Hartzell. "So it's really important to have events like this to make sure that word gets out we can help all people in these situations."

Saturday's kickoff was the just first event in Nancy Cooper's honor; a pair of benefit runs is planned next month to commemorate the anniversary of her disappearance.

One will be in Cooper's native Canada; the other will start at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary on July 11.

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