People are going to be able to speak out about violence against area women and children in the 100 Mile House on Sept. 30.
The 100 Mile House & District Women’s Centre Society is hosting the annual Take Back The Night Candlelight Walk and folks are urged to gather at the 100 Mile Community Hall on Sept. 30, start at 5:30 p.m..
This year, organizers are holding the event at the community hall so there there will be a great community presence, says Women's Centre executive director Sonja Ramsay.
"Sept. 30, 2015 is going to be the best public event the [Women's Society] has ever put on. Men and women will come together and stand together to support one another in our effort to end violence against women and girls and all of their families for good."
She adds the women's centre is also including the White Ribbon Campaign, which was organized by men working to end men's violence against women.
The campaign is dedicated to the 14 female engineering students who were murdered by gunman Marc Lépine in the massacre at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec on Dec. 6, 1989.
The Sept. 30 event at the community hall will run from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and will start with opening remarks and a blessing from the Shuswap Nation, followed by an RCMP-escorted walk around the downtown core. After that, there will be light refreshments and snacks back at the hall, followed by guest speakers, a belly dancing demonstration and closing thank-yous.
Participants are encouraged to wear purple and white, which can be picked up at the Women's Centre (#102 475 Birch Ave.) for a suggested donation of $2.
"Please bring your musical instruments and let’s make noise. Together we can break the silence of violence and build peace."
There is no fee to attend this event and candles will be provided.
Participants are asked to bring donations of money or non-perishable food.
Individual and corporate memberships to the Women’s Centre Society will be available. There is a new membership format: individual, $5-$100; and corporate, $150-$1,000. Corporate sponsors will be highlighted on the Women's Centre website, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.