New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Slain teenager’s mother finds joy in sharing sweet tribute
MILFORD — A signature ice cream flavor made in honor of slain teen Maren Sanchez is bringing joy to her mom and others and will be shared in honor of what would have been Sanchez’s 24th birthday.
Sanchez’s mother,
Donna Cimarelli, asked Jay “Ice Man” Piccirillo, owner of Micalizzi’s Italian Ice, to create a signature ice cream for the birthday — and to mark the passing of the torch from the Maren Sanchez Home Foundation to the Boys & Girls Club of Milford.
He picked blue raspberry because nautical blue was Sanchez’s favorite color, but it was widely believed after her death that her favorite was purple and most memorials and gestures from fellow students were in that color, Cimarelli said. The purple honors that and the edible glitter is because Sanchez sparkled.
Sanchez, 16, a popular junior at Jonathan Law High School, was fatally stabbed in April 2014 in a stairwell at the school by a fellow student. Her killer, Christopher Plaskon, is serving 25 years in prison.
Cimarelli said Piccirillo has been there every step of the journey since her daughter’s death, heavily supporting fundraisers and serving on committees.
Piccirillo came up with blue raspberry Italian ice swirled in vanilla ice cream and mixed with edible purple glitter, a Cimarelli request.
The flavor, “Maren’s Swirl of Strength,” was named by Megan Altomare, executive director of Boys & Girls Club of Milford, and it tastes like a blue raspberry creamsicle, Piccirillo said.
“It’s a perfect combination of color and flavor – perfect for what it stands for,” he said.
In honor of Sanchez, the ice cream will be given away for free Saturday from 1. to 4 p.m. at Micalizzi’s Italian Ice in downtown. Her actual birthday is Thursday.
The signature flavor will be served at all future events involving Sanchez, said the owner of the iconic Italian ice business headquartered in Bridgeport.
After the ice cream was made, Piccirillo, Altomare and Cimarelli had an unusual experience.
Piccirillo said that, after it was pointed out by Sanchez’s mother, he also saw what she saw in a container of the ice cream: what they believe was an image of the slain teen.
He insists he didn’t put the image there.
“It freaked me out,” he said. “Her face and smile are in the ice cream.”
“I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s Maren’s face, did you do that on purpose?” Cimarelli said she asked him. She didn’t receive a clear answer that day.
The next day when Piccirillo showed them the ice cream in person she asked again if he put it there and Cimarelli said he said, “Maren was with him when he made it, she tasted it and she gave it her stamp of approval.”
Altomare said she, too, saw Sanchez’s face too when Cimarelli pointed it out and that since she’s been working with Cimarelli she’s seen “a bunch of signs” of Sanchez.
“I think Donna is very open be aware to look for these types of signs,” Altomare said. “One thing I am confident of is that Maren is with Donna all the time, guiding her and influencing her, giving her everything she needs to be able to move forward and share the positive beautiful light that Maren exemplified.”
Piccirillo has been friends with Cimarelli for 40 years, but he wasn’t ready for faces in ice cream – so he went with his gut interpretation.
“It’s her (Maren’s) way of saying, ‘You’re doing a good job (with the flavor) and I can’t wait to celebrate my birthday with you guys,’” he said.
Cimarelli said she and others who knew Sanchez often see the image of her face in places when they least expect it, especially at times of celebrations and milestone events.
“I was not surprised at all, just joyous,” Cimarelli said.
“I think Maren’s energy is very strong and at certain milestones, it’s stronger,” Cimarelli said.
It’s a special birthday, Cimarelli said, because it’s the last event to be held officially by the Maren Sanchez Home Foundation.
The foundation was formed to teach young girls and women how to spot and deal with psychological control and manipulation and to defend themselves.
Although the money now will be used to fund scholarships at Boys & Girls Club of Milford, the missions are aligned in helping young people, Cimarelli said.
Sanchez is forever a part of Milford history, she said, and the girl loved the city, her friends here, and the beach.
Cimarelli will be at Micalizzi’s Italian Ice that day to be part of the “party” and said if Sanchez were around she probably would be behind the counter volunteering to work.
“She probably would have been telling everyone how great it is,” Cimarelli said. “I think it’s a light and fun way to celebrate and I hope we have a sunny day.”
The ice cream is made in 2.5-gallon containers and there are 100 servings in each – plenty for everyone who comes by and the more the merrier.
Piccirillo said Saturday’s celebration at his popular ice/ice cream shop will be a happy, bright family activity, “not dark and gloomy.”
Cimarelli said the ice cream is “pretty.”
“We wanted to do something relaxed so we could involve children,” Cimarelli said. “We couldn’t be more excited about Maren’s legacy being carried on in the Boys and Girls Club of Milford.”