PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Hundreds of people gathered Saturday to run and walk and commemorate the life of Alina Shaykhet, a University of Pittsburgh student who was killed in 2017 during a domestic violence incident by her ex-boyfriend.
As the horn sounded for Saturday’s 5-kilometer race, memories came flooding back to Alina’s father, Jan Shaykhet.
“It’s really hard,” he said. “The pain never goes away.”
This year marks Alina’s fifth annual Light Walk and Run for Love, and seven years after her death, the nonprofit organization that bears her name continues to work to transform grief into hope.
Yang is the president of Alina’s Light. Settlers Cabin Park in Allegheny County was filled with purple on Saturday, and that was by design.
“When we moved into this house, I asked my wife what color she wanted the rooms to be, and she said purple,” he said.
Alina Shaykhet is seen in a Facebook photo obtained by CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA-TV.
It also means awareness of domestic violence.
Alina was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2017. Her family filed for a protection from abuse order against him. Days later, he broke into Alina’s Oakland apartment and took her life.
“My husband and I found her, and our new life began,” said Ellie Shaket, Alina’s mother and vice president of Alina’s Right.
That new life includes supporting resources for victims of domestic violence and encouraging them to speak up.
“Alina had no idea she was being abused and chose to hide it. Silence is the problem.”
Lawmakers like State Rep. Anita Click, of Pennsylvania’s 45th Congressional District, are also working to reform anti-abuse laws in the Keystone State.
“An electronic monitoring system would allow victims to be alerted if a defendant is within a certain range and be able to retreat to a safe location,” said Rep. Kulik, a Democrat.
While the runners and walkers have finished, Ellie Shakhet isn’t done yet. For her, the job has helped her regain a sense of normalcy she enjoyed before the tragedy.
“This organization is not my job. It’s my daughter,” she said. “She’s my daughter. Taking care of this organization makes me feel like I’m continuing to raise my daughter.”
This is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, and all proceeds from Saturday’s 5K will go toward funding the organization’s mission of supporting and raising awareness for victims of domestic violence and inspiring others to speak up.
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