Business Raising Money to Support Habitat House Honoring Friend Who Died of Bulimia

The Northville Central Business Association is dedicating its “Girls NIght Out” event Friday to support “Kelly’s Home,” a project established by Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity to honor a local woman who died of complications of bulimia last September.

Bailey & Shamoun Interiors one of the businesses participating in Girls Night Out, is owned by friends of the family of Kelly Markatos, a 2009 Northville High School graduate who died of complications of the eating disorder in her Central Michigan University apartment last fall, The Observer & Eccentric reports.

“This is deeply personal to us because our family was close with Kelly and so were many others here in Northville,” said Kathryn Bailey, whose daughter was a friend and classmate of Markatos. “This hit many of us very hard and so for some time we’ve wanted to do something to remember her.”

Markatos worked as a public relations intern for Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, which plans to build a home costing between $80,000 and $90,000 in her honor. Some money has been raised, but not enough to build the house, something Bailey and her business partner, Basma Shamoun, hope to correct by donating 10 percent of the sales form Girls Night Out to Kelly’s Home.

They’ll also be selling special Kelly’s Home bracelets and accepting cash donations for the project, which they say will give the community a chance to remember Markatos and create a lasting legacy to a cause she cared about.

Bailey & Shamoun, 191 CadyCentre, is one of 50 retail stores participating in the Girls Night Out, which is held twice a year. The spring version on Friday will be held from 5-9 p.m. Participating businesses offer new merchandise, special offers and giveaways throughout the evening.