Charity event marks tragic anniversary

There is no way to avoid the questions this week, or the media spotlight.

Sandra Toffoloni and her parents, Paul and Maureen Toffoloni of Daytona Beach Shores, know the glare of attention will shine on them.

And they will once again be forced to think about the death of two people they loved so much.

It's been one year since the horrific weekend of June 22-24 that saw pro wrestler Chris Benoit murder his wife, Nancy Toffoloni Benoit, and their 7-year-old son Daniel before killing himself.

It was a case that captured international attention.

As the anniversary approached, Sandra Toffoloni knew there was no point in "sitting around, bawling my eyes out yet again" over the deaths of her sister and nephew.

So on Friday, Toffoloni is planning an event she hopes will give everyone a few hours of fun. The first major fundraiser for the Nancy & Daniel Benoit Foundation -- created to raise awareness of the consequences of steroid abuse -- will be the inaugural Rat Pack Charity Vegas Night.

Held at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, the event will feature gaming, dancing and dining for a $100 donation to the new charity.

"My sister and I were always completely enamored of the Rat Pack growing up; I was Frank and she was Dean," Toffoloni said. "And so when we thought about how to have a different kind of event, that's one of the first things that came to mind."

It has been an emotionally wrenching year for the family. Several days have been particularly tough, like the first Thanksgiving and Daniel's birthday in February.

Toffoloni said though most of the media attention has faded, some little things are constant reminders, such as when customers at the hair salon Maureen Toffoloni works at inquire about Nancy, unaware of the tragedy. But creating a foundation in Nancy and Daniel's name has been a way to transfer the grief into a good cause.

The family decided the charity's purpose (found on the Web at ndbfoundation.org) would be to help fund research into the effects of steroid abuse on the body, as well to shine a light on the domestic abuse suffered by steroid abusers' wives.

After the murders of Nancy and Daniel Benoit, numerous accounts surfaced of abuse Nancy had suffered, and Chris Benoit was a noted heavy user of steroids.

"This is a subject Nancy and I were passionate about before the tragedy, and obviously the steroid abuse issue is something very close to her," Toffoloni said. "How it affects the body and the mind is something we're all still finding a lot more about."

The foundation has ambitious goals, Toffoloni said. They want to find partners in the academic or corporate world also interested in researching the link between steroid abuse and spousal abuse, and Toffoloni said they hope to hold several fundraisers per year.

Toffoloni said she and her parents have let go of a lot of the anger they initially felt, saying "it's a waste of time to be angry at people."

The family's lawyer, Richard Decker of Atlanta, said the family might sue World Wrestling Entertainment, the company Benoit worked for at the time of the tragedy.

In the meantime, Sandra Toffoloni hopes that the foundation will help keep the memory of her sister and nephew alive.

"This is something we really hope can make a difference," Toffoloni said. "This (Vegas Night) is a way to honor their memory and bring attention to a really important cause."

michael.lewis @news-jrnl.com