Restaurants team up to help slaying victim's children

Johnny Slowik is one of the Petalumans aching over the apparent slaying of teacher and mother of four Kim Conover by her estranged husband, Kevin, who's believed to have then killed himself.

Johnny, a member of one of the town's most prolific restaurant families, went to Petaluma High with the Conovers. And his downtown caf? Blu American Eatery, is a favorite spot of one of Kim's teen-aged daughters.

Shortly after the apparent murder-suicide, Johnny said, "There was a night I couldn't sleep and I thought, &‘What can I do?'"

He decided he could hold a benefit at Blu for Kim's children on Thursday, May 3, and ask his relatives to do the same at their restaurants. They all agreed, and Johnny went on Facebook to let folks know about the dine-out day.

Petaluma's response has been so great that Johnny now hopes other restaurants will join in and open up tables for people wanting to have a meal out on the 3rd and boost a recently opened trust account for the four Conover/Sullivan kids.

He'll donate 10 percent of the day's receipts from Blu and so will his sister, Annette White, at Sugo and their mother, Lori Shea, at Food Bar and Lori's brother, Edward Pizutti, at Caffe Giostra.

Jenny Low's and other restaurants are signing on. The best place to catch up on plans for dine-outs to benefit Kim's kids is at the "Events" tab on the Blu American Eatery's Facebook page.

It could be huge.

- Chris Smith, The Press Democrat

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