Gabby Petito: Family set up foundation in honour of dead YouTuber

Gabby Petito’s family have invited people to donate to the new foundation in lieu of flowers

Gabby Petito’s family have set up a charitable foundation in her name, and are asking people to donate to it in lieu of flowers for her memorial service.

Ms Petito’s father Joe Petito announced on Friday the family had formed the Future Gabby Petito Foundation.

“We thank you for all the support,” Mr Petito said.

In lieu of flowers for the service, please send donations for the Future Gabby Petito Foundation through the Johnny Mac Foundation at https://t.co/LuZ4fILZY0 or https://t.co/4jn0zukyIb

We Thank you for all the support💙🦋🌈 pic.twitter.com/MWGx2BGHmQ

— joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 24, 2021

Donations are being collected through the Johnny Mac Foundation, a charity set up by the family of former FDNY firefighter John McNamara who died of 9/11-related cancer in 2009 aged 44.

Ms Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt is a longtime volunteer and board member at the foundation. Her husband Jim Schmidt, who assisted in the FBI-led search for Ms Petito, is the former chief of the Blue Point Fire Department in Long Island.

The family announced a memorial visitation for Ms Petito, 22, will be open to the public.

The memorial will take place at Moloney’s Holbrook Funeral Home, in Long Island, New York, from 12pm to 5pm on Sunday.

Ms Petito’s remains were located in the Bridger-Teton National Forrest in Wyoming on Sunday, and an autopsy confirmed her death was a homicide. The cause of death has yet to be released.

Gabby Petito’s uncle Steve Petito asks neighbors to light candles in memory of Ms Petito. (screengrab)

On Thursday, Ms Petito’s uncle Steve asked people to light a candle at the end of their driveway for his “beautiful” niece at 7pm on Friday.

“She touched the world,” Steve Petito wrote in the post on Instagram.

Events are being held at Ms Petito’s home of Blue Point, and people are being invited to join