Power of Purple Hosts 4th Hot Cider Walk and Rally Oct 23 in New London

The Power of Purple Hosts 4th Annual Hot Cider Walk and Rally: An End to Domestic Violence Sunday, October 23 at Beth El Synagogue, New London
Walk to raise awareness, educate, and take action 2016 theme: safe homes include safe pets

New London, CT – The Power of Purple campaign, founded by the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund of Safe Futures in partnership with Hadassah American Affairs of Eastern Connecticut, will present its 4th Annual awareness raising event to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Hot Cider Walk and Rally: An End to Domestic Violence. The event will take place on Sunday, October 23 at the Beth El Synagogue, 660 Ocean Avenue in New London. The suggested donation is $10 for adults, children (under 18) are free; all registrants will receive a Power of Purple T-shirt and bracelet. For online pre-registration and for more information, visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org or call (860) 884-8945.
 
This year, the Hot Cider Walk & Rally will feature the special theme of Safe Homes Include Safe Pets. At Safe Futures, the primary goal is to ensure the safety of the people who need help—and that includes their family members. Domestic violence victims face many barriers on the road to safety. One major barrier is concern for their pets, who are often left with the abuser simply because many shelters cannot accommodate them. In fact, according to the American Humane Society, between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to the pets they leave behind. As a result, people remain in unsafe situations. We understand pets are family too, and Safe Futures is launching a program called #ProtectOurPets that will help people leaving an abusive situation to find a safe place for their pets. To honor this new program, we encourage walk participants to include all their family members – including pets.


The Hot Cider Walk & Rally will start and finish at the Beth El Synagogue in New London. Registration will begin at 12:00 a.m. Before and after the walk, attendees will be treated to a Resource and Entertainment Fair with activities for families and children and their pets and raffles and chance games. A rally to raise awareness, educate and call the community to action on Domestic Violence will include survivors and community leaders and will commence at 1 p.m. The 3 mile autumn walk will start at 1:30 p.m. and will feature scenic views along Long Island Sound. After the walk, attendees will return to the Beth El Synagogue for hot cider, donuts and the Resource and Entertainment Fair and raffle drawings. There will be prizes for the best teams in costumes, use of purple and largest team. There will also be prizes for the best-costumed pets. The event will take place rain or shine.
 
On-line pre-registration is available, with payment being accepted at the door. Donations will also be collected for the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund of Safe Futures and/or to Hadassah American Affairs to help their work to end domestic violence in our communities. Teams are welcome and encouraged.
 
The color of domestic violence is purple and The Power of Purple Campaign strives to put purple on the map of our consciousness so it will be a recognizable symbol of the education and action needed to end domestic violence. Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the first Day of Unity observed in October, 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities share common themes: mourning those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end violence.
 
The Power of Purple Campaign brings domestic violence out of the shadows and into the open through awareness, education and action through its annual activities: a community forum each spring and the October walk. Three women are killed every day in the U.S. by their intimate partners and one in four American women will be abused in her lifetime. Millions of our children are victims and bystanders of domestic violence and still many more victims are left in the shadows, paralyzed by fear, terror and shame and by the failure of our institutions to adequately recognize and respond. The Power of Purple Campaign has won awards state-wide for its community outreach and advocacy and a National Hadassah Advocacy Award presented at the Annual Convention in Las Vegas in July, 2014.
 
As Chair of American Affairs for the Hadassah of Eastern CT chapter and founder of the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund of Safe Futures, Sheila Horvitz is chairing the event with a committee made up of representatives from both sponsoring organizations as well as many community organizations. "This will be our 4th annual walk. We are grateful for the support of our community and our political leaders who lend their voices to our movement and our rallies. As our Power of Purple campaign goes from strength to strength, we will continue to engage our community with programs of awareness, education and action. We look forward to a beautiful and meaningful seaside autumn walk to raise consciousness and cement our community resolve to work together to end domestic violence, and this year, we are encouraging walkers to bring their leashed pets," says Sheila Horvitz, founder of the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund. As in the past, the Power of Purple will invite businesses and civic organizations to participate as Community Partners.
 
The Rose Conrad Memorial Fund was founded by Sheila Horvitz in 2005. As a matrimonial attorney in southeastern Connecticut for over thirty years, she saw the problem of domestic violence first hand, most dramatically in the murder of her client, Rose Conrad, at the hands of her husband during their divorce case. Out of that tragedy, the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund was born to bring awareness and education to the victims and their responders in the health, education, legal and criminal justice communities. Since its founding, the Fund, under the umbrella of Safe Futures, has mounted educational conferences, programs for children affected by domestic violence and fundraising events.
 
Hadassah is the largest women's organization in America and is committed to unwavering devotion to Zionism and American ideals. In the U.S., through its American Affairs branch, Hadassah reaches its goals by advocating for issues of importance to women and to the American Jewish community. Its advocacy includes policy statements, direct advocacy, legislative initiatives, and lobbying political leaders on the local, state and national level. Hadassah has been outspoken in support of initiatives to end domestic violence and is a strong supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, advocating for its passage in the current Congress. In its policy statement on Violence Against Women, Hadassah "reaffirms its long-standing commitment to women’s rights and women’s health needs. To these ends, we actively condemn all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence. Hadassah therefore pledges to work directly to educate its members and their communities about violence against women, both inside and out of the Jewish community. Hadassah will also continue to advocate for legislative initiatives aimed at ending this violence and supporting the needs of battered women and their families."
 
Safe Futures saves lives, restores hope and changes the future for those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault throughout New London County. During the last year, Safe Futures saved the lives of 211 women and children who fled abuse and were sheltered at its safe house; restored hope by providing housing, training and support for 37 individuals in families living in its Phoenix House transitional living program; and change the future for over 4,800 students, who participated in violence prevention education programs, including the popular VIP (Violence is Preventable) program. Over 5,000 women, children and men receive free, confidential services annually. Safe Futures’ hotline operates 24/7/365, providing round-the-clock accessibility to Safe Futures’ free, confidential services. Safe Futures was founded in 1976 as the Women’s Center of Southeastern CT. Safe Futures was founded 40 years ago as the Women’s Center of Southeastern CT.
 
 
What: THE POWER OF PURPLE HOT CIDER WALK & RALLY: 2016 Theme: SAFE HOMES INCLUDE SAFE PETS 
WHERE: Beth El Synagogue, 660 Ocean Avenue, New London, CT 06320 
WHEN: Sunday, October 23, 2016, 12:00 am – 1:00 pm: Registration and Resource Fair
1:00 – 1:30 pm: Rally with Survivors and Community Leaders
1:30 pm: Hot Cider Walk followed by Refreshments, Resource Fair, Prizes and Raffle Drawings 
HOW: For more information and pre-registration visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org or call (860) 884-8945.

Suggested Donation: $10, children under 18 are free. Power of Purple t-shirts and bracelets to the first 200 participants. Community Partners and Teams welcome and team prizes awarded. Rain or shine.