The issue of domestic violence has been in news lately with the release of the shocking video of Ray Rice punching his then fiancée Janay Palmer in the face. The response by the NFL and the subsequent outcry has brought a problem, often swept under the rug, to the forefront of our collective conscious. Domestic Violence Awareness Month could not happen at a better time.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) website, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed in October 1987. It evolved from a Day of Unity observation held by the NCADV in 1981. Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a time to remember those who have been victims of domestic violence and a time to celebrate those who have survived and the advocates who provide domestic violence services in communities across the country.
At last week's city council meeting, Mayor Di An Putnam declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Winnemucca and presented Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services' representative Stephanie Johnson with a proclamation.
Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services (WDVS) will be promoting October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and celebrating Nevada's 150th birthday at the Mayor's Ball held next weekend. The ball also celebrates Mayor Putnam as Winnemucca's first woman mayor.
Tiffany Stickney, director of the WDVS, said Putnam has been a proponent of the WDVS for a long time.
"She has been on our board since the beginning," said Stickney.
At last week's city council meeting, Putnam proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month for the City of Winnemucca, and presented WDVS representative Stephanie Johnson with the proclamation.
With the publicity that has been on domestic violence lately, the Mayor's Ball and Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a way to highlight the issue here in Winnemucca said Putnam in a later interview.
"We are not immune in Winnemucca to this problem," she said.
The Mayor's Ball will be held at the Winnemucca Convention Center East Hall on Friday, Oct. 3, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., and dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Attendees of the ball have an opportunity to bid in a silent auction on UNR Wolf Pack tickets, nights at the Venetian Las Vegas and a sightseeing tour at Lake Tahoe, among other items.
The annual fundraiser is a semi-formal event and the party includes a DJ and a dance floor. Tickets cost $35 for individuals and $60 for a couple. Tables seating eight guests may be reserved for $300.
A more somber event, a candlelight vigil honoring victims of domestic violence and families affected by it, will be held at the Winnemucca Community Garden later in October. In years' past, the fundraiser and the vigil were held on the same evening. Stickney said this year the events were separated to allow people to enjoy the celebratory mood of the Mayor's Ball.
For questions or to purchase tickets to the Mayor's Ball, contact Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services at 625-1313.[[In-content Ad]]
