Planning underway for local 2013 V-Day Campaign

NEWS RELEASE

ONE BILLION RISING SAULT STE. MARIE

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Sault Ste. Marie is proud to be a participant in the V-Day 2013 V-Day Campaign.

When V-Day started 15 years ago, the founders had the outrageous idea that we could end violence against women.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of V-Day activists in audiences and on stages across the world have come together to demand an end to violence against women and girls.

V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations.

In 2012, over 5,800 V-Day benefit events took place, produced by volunteer activists, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls both locally and globally.

In 2013, Sault Ste. Marie will be one of the thousands of events around the world channeling their creative energy into making a difference as part of the V-Day Campaign.

A world in which one billion women experience violence is unacceptable.

The time has come to get active, get over it, and stand together to demand an end to the violence.

February 14, 2013, marks V-Day’s 15th anniversary, when one billion women and the men and children who love them will abandon business as usual, interrupt their routines, and join together across the planet.

We challenge each one of you to join us at One Billion Rising Sault Ste. Marie and mobilize your friends, your families, your colleagues, to rise up on this day to speak out, to dance, to march, to send a clear message to the world that violence against women must end, and to usher in a new era.

Part of what makes one billion rising so special is the opportunity it offers to local businesses - to participate in this global movement, to celebrate and honour the women and children in your life and community, to be part of a collective voice - a voice that refuses to be ignored; a voice that says no to violence against women and children.

We will be donating the profits from our event to select local organizations in our own community.

Since we hope to donate as much as possible to these organizations, we need our community to come together, join us at our event, support our fundraising initiatives, and spread the word!

This year, some of our fundraising initiatives will include,but are not limited to: the compilation and sale of cookbooks; a family fun day with activities geared to children of all ages; a walk in heels event, which encourages the men in our lives to gather pledges from family and friends who would like to see them spend at least one hour in a pair of heels (at our One Billion Rising event); and a children and adult’s art auction.

We will be holding an information session about One Billion Rising Sault Ste. Marie on October 26, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the Indian Friendship Centre (122 East Street).

We encourage all local businesses, agencies, and the general public who may be interested in knowing a bit more about this great event to come out and see us on Friday.

Coffee, tea, and other light refreshments will be provided.

What Is One Billion Rising?

One Billion Rising is a promise that on February 14, 2013, we will rise up with millions of women and men around the world to say, “Enough! The violence ends now!”

One Billion Rising will make the earth move by uniting us through dance across every country.

One Billion Rising is a global call to action.

We will gather throughout the world.

One Billion Rising is communal.

We will dance together in defiance of the injustices we and our mothers, sisters, lovers and friends have suffered.

One Billion Rising is a celebration.

We will dance, we will raise our voices, and we will leave our offices, our homes and our daily routines behind as we join in a powerful act of refusal to let violence continue.

One Billion Rising - join us!!

Strike - dance - rise!

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