Pink ribbons are for breast cancer awareness. Red ones signify AIDS prevention. The purple ribbons, though, don’t conjure up the same knee-jerk response as the others. That’s because they signify an issue that’s not necessarily at the forefront of society’s issues, but deserves just as much attention as the rest: domestic violence.
This month’s events, all in recognition of October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, will kick off Saturday with a domestic violence awareness walk event that runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Florence City-County Complex at 180 N. Irby St., Florence. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by the walk, which will start at 9:15 a.m., and the ceremony ends with a balloon release.
Guest speakers will include Florence Police Chief Anson Shells and Jennifer Roscoe, who was attacked by her ex-boyfriend outside her Florence workplace in June 2010, to give their perspectives.
The walk is free for all ages.
The Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault will be spending the bulk of October visiting the counties in its service area to educate residents on heightening awareness and being able to identify the warning signs of domestic violence.
South Carolina ranks No. 7 in the nation for women slain by men, according to the Violence Policy Center’s September report. The state’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, identified domestic violence as the No. 1 crime issue in South Carolina.
The Pee Dee Coalition also encourages community members and businesses to wear or display a purple ribbon to signify their support of local efforts to end domestic violence throughout the month.
For more information and upcoming events, call the coalition at (843) 669-4694 or visit www.peedeecoalition.org.
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