CreeAnn Pepe and her late son, Richard. {courtesy}
A tragedy motivated CreeAnn Pepe to found a new non-profit organization in Margate.
CreeAnn’s oldest son, Richard, was murdered in a domestic violence incident on May 31, 2025, and she wanted to create something positive in response, creating Breaking Chains of Violence to help the victims of domestic violence.
“I want to raise awareness about the problem of domestic violence and help people who are going through it or have survived it,” said CreeAnn.
A long-time Margate resident who has volunteered in Broward public schools for 16 years, she is planning the Breaking the Chains Festival 2026, the Foundation’s first event, on Saturday, October 17 at the Margate Sports Complex from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
At the September 16 commission meeting, she presented her plan, and the commission agreed to waive the Sports Complex rental fees but not the labor costs to run the event.
CreeAnn is now looking for sponsors.
General admission will be free to the public, but the Foundation will be selling a $20 VIP ticket. She has already partnered with Women in Distress.
“We are hosting this event at the Sports Complex because it is one of the best facilities around. We are going to do a lot of outreach events, and I hope to have a 5K run,” said CreeAnn.
The festival will be a day of raising awareness about bullying, gun violence, and domestic violence. The festival will include food vendors, local assistance and resource vendors, participation from local schools, the One Blood bus, and a concert with various artists.
The goal is to make this an annual event that will bring positive publicity to Margate, according to city information.
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