Power of Purple Hosts 3rd Hot Cider Walk Oct 25

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 3rd 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 25 at Eastern Point Beach in Groton. The suggested registration fee is $10 for adults, children (under 18) are free; all registrants will receive a Power of Purple T-shirt and bracelet. For on line pre-registration and for more information, visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org or call (860) 884-8945.
 
The Hot Cider Walk will start and finish at Zbierski House, located within Eastern Point Beach on Beach Point Road in Groton City. Registration will begin at 12:00 noon, with the 2.5 mile walk commencing at 1:00 pm. The autumn walk will feature scenic views of Long Island Sound and the Thames River.
 
At 2:30 p.m., participants will enjoy refreshments, visit resource tables and take part in a rally to raise awareness, educate and call the community to action. Hot cider and donuts will be served. 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. There will be prizes for the best teams in costume design, use of purple theme and largest team. The event will take place rain or shine.
 
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 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 3rd 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," says Sheila Horvitz, founder of the Rose Conrad Memorial Fund.
 
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 166 women and children who fled abuse and were sheltered at its safe house; restored hope by providing housing, training and support for 45 individuals in families living in its Phoenix House transitional living program; and change the future for over 4,300 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.
 
Groups who have joined our walks as community partners include the BestWellness4You; the Charity Challenge; Connecticut Federation of Democratic Women; Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Educators; Fleet & Family Support Center/Naval Subase New London; Freedom4Ewa; Madonna Place; Gemma Moran Food Bank, Homeless Hospitality Center; Norwich Rotary; OIC; Otis Library; Southeastern CT Women's NETWORK; Suisman Shapiro; To Give is Divine, Ltd., William H. Backus Hospital; and United Community & Family Services.  We hope to enlist more community partners to join our growing coalition. 
 
WHAT: The Power of Purple - Hot Cider Walk & Rally 
WHERE: Eastern Point Beach
Beach Pond Road
Groton, Connecticut 06340
 
WHEN: Sunday, October 25, 2015
12:00 – 1:00 pm: Registration and Resources
1:00 – 2:30 pm: 2.5 mile Hot Cider Walk
2:30 pm: Refreshments, Resources and Rally
 
HOW: For more information and pre-registration visit www.SafeFuturesCT.org
Or call (860) 884-8945.
Suggested Registration: $10, children under 18 are free.
Power of Purple t-shirts and bracelets to the first 200 participants.
Teams welcome and team prizes awarded.
Rain or shine.