In 2008, Holly Gallian lived in Reno during the time Brianna Denison was abducted from an area near UNR. Later, it was discovered that Denison had been brutally raped and murdered and left in a ditch about a mile from Gallian’s home in South Reno. At the time, her middle sister lived two blocks from Brianna’s home and her sister began carrying a knife around with her to stay safe while attending UNR.
“It shook me to the core and I became even more vigilant about our safety, paying attention to what was going on around me,” Gallian said. “(I) realized why what my parents had taught us about situational awareness was so important.”
Gallian has lived in places like New York City, Sacramento, Tucson, among others, and traveled to major cities like Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, and has never felt unsafe until an alarming incident happened to her close to home.
“I have NEVER not felt safe until a few weeks ago when I had an encounter in the back country up in Water Canyon when I was followed by two men on my back trail,” she said. “It was another wake-up call to me we are not safe, even in a small town and I want to empower our region to be more aware and confident in their day-to-day activities.”
As a result of these experiences and what Gallian calls the increasing number of violent acts being perpetrated these days, she decided to create an event to empower those in the community.
“I have partnered with some incredible humans on our committee, several local businesses, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and EMS groups, as well as other aligned partners in helping people learn new skills,” she said. “This will become an annual event for the month of May after this event so we can also celebrate the outdoors being a safe space for our mental, emotional and physical health as we leave the winter months behind.”
The Aware and Confident Community Event is free to the public and set for Saturday, June 24 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Ralph Whitworth Complex in Winnemucca, Nevada.
“This event is geared towards teaching you new skills so you can be Aware and Confident in any of the many surroundings you encounter in your day,” Gallian said.
The Aware and Confident Committee is presenting the inaugural event as a hands-on experience, meaning “this isn’t going to be just a boring, informational booth style event where you fall asleep by the time you reach the third booth,” Gallian said. “I am an experiential facilitator and we have created a super fun, hands-on, you might get dirty learning new skills through facilitated activities, you will learn tangible, real life skills, be able to interact with new technology and tools and see demonstrations of how to subdue an attacker and or how to stay safe in an office setting as an example of some of the many facilitated activities we will have! In this day and age, we can no longer be complacent and you will be able to learn from educators, businesses and outdoor experts who can teach you and your family new skills and about new technology to help keep you and your loved ones safe.”
After event costs have been covered for the raffle prizes, and other expenses, Gallian said the remainder of the proceeds will directly benefit The Family Support Center, WDVS and NOS in partnership with their efforts to help local families stay safe mentally, emotionally and physically and to also enjoy and appreciate the outdoors safely.