Black Cat Lounge holds fundraiser to honour Susan Elko

A fundraiser was held at a downtown bar on Saturday to raisemoney and awareness for victims of domestic violence in honour of a former co-worker.

Susan Elkowas waitress at the Black Cat Lounge, her former boss said she had been nicknamed "Black Cat Sue" by patrons.

"She had an energetic spirit, she had a great personalityand the customers loved her.They really, really loved her and cared about her," said co-owner Michael Ciccaglione. "It's a tragic loss for all of us."

• Susan Rae Elko was stabbed to death, say Calgary police

On Sept.14of this year, Elko's body was found by police in her Mission condo. Her 24-year-old boyfriend was charged in her stabbing death in what investigators said they believed was a domestic-related homicide.

The fundraiser was a celebration of her life and also raised money for bothElko's family and the YMCA.

"Our hope is that by increasing awareness, by people talking about it, that people will come forward, we can provide the help that they need, and that hopefully at the end of the day we can break the cycle," said Joanna Domes, manager of resource development for the YWCA.

According to Domes, Calgary police respond to 1,600 reports of domestic violence each year. The YWCA helps women flee domestic violence and offers counselling to women, children and men. Domes said their emergency shelter is always full.

Ciccaglionesaid they are hoping to make the fundraiser an annual event.

"I think its very important because [domestic violence]happens far too often. We think it wont happen to us or to people that we know or to people that we love. But unfortunately it does, it happens more than we can possibly imagine so this was just us doing our part to raise awareness," he said.