April: Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month Events, 2024
April 1 @ 8:00 am - April 30 @ 11:30 pm
Tuesdays in April 2024, Teal Tuesday: Show your support by wearing teal on Tuesdays. Gather your coworkers or take a selfie dressed in teal and share it on your favorite social media platform and tag The Women’s Community.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 Start by Believing Day: On this day we gather to end the silence and change the way we respond to sexual assault. We Start by Believing. Please join us on social media for information about how you can show support for survivors. The next step is to speak out. We invite you to sign a petition to support a victim centered response and show support for victims of sexual assault. To sign a national petition – https://www.startbybelieving.org/call-to-action/
Friday, April 5, 2024 Wear Blue Day: A national awareness campaign where we invite our community to wear blue to show support in preventing child abuse and neglect. Show us your blue attire and tag #PreventChildAbuse
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 6:00pm, 10th Annual Dani’s Journey Bowling Event: 9-pin tap, 1 shift at 6:00pm. Registration begins at 5:00pm. Live music from 8:00pm-midnight. The bowling event will be held at Dale’s Weston Lanes, 5902 Schofield Ave., Weston, WI/ Proceeds will go to The Women’s Community to help educated youth about teen dating violence and sexual assault. For more information about the fundraiser or how to get involved with Dani’s Journey, please contact DanisJourney@yahoo.com
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 5:15pm, Award Ceremony: Join us as we recognize outstanding community members for their dedication to supporting survivors of sexual assault. Light snacks provided. Refreshments may be purchased from Whitewater Music Hall. The event is located at Whitewater Music Hall and Brew Works, 130 1st St., Wausau, WI. Free and open to the public.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 6:30pm Virtual Book Discussion: Join us in reading Street Child A Memoir, by Justin Reed Early. Discuss the shock-inspiring story of a young boy who escapes his increasingly dysfunctional and violent middle-class home. Remanded into state custody at ten years old, he embarks on a journey through the foster care system only finding safety from unlikely skid-row heroes on downtown streets of Seattle and San Francisco. Learn about advocacy services for children and families, the role of the Child Advocacy Center, and child-centered teamwork in Marathon County. Books available at Amazon and Kindle. To register: Email Laura@womenscommunity.org
Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Dollars for Denim on Denim Day: A symbolic gesture –Denim Day is an international protest responding to the Italian Supreme Court’s overruling of a rape conviction in 1999. Although the assailant had been found guilty at trial, the Supreme Court argued that because jeans are difficult to remove, the assailant couldn’t have done so without the victim’s help. Sounds outrageous, yet all over the world, women and men who are victims of sexual assault continue to be disbelieved and accused of causing the assault due to their behavior… or fashion sense. Everyone is invited to wear denim and help raise funds and awareness as an individual or in your workplace. Donations in any amount can be made on our website: Denim Day – Dollars for Denim. Post a photo of yourself or your workplace group to your social media page and tag us!
Thursday, April 25, 2024, 5:00pm-7:00pm, We Step Into the Light Art Exhibit Open House: Enjoy art work created by volunteer survivors who collaborated together through We Step Into the Light, a project raising awareness about sexual assault, relationship and gender based violence, and stalking. Artists are paired with survivors who act as a muse for the art created. All artwork focuses on celebrating survivors and their ambition, goals, and passions of the survivor. Food and refreshments will be provided. Enjoy art, music and food. A formal presentation on the project and artwork will take place at 5:45pm. The event will be held at UWSP at Wausau, 625 Stewart Ave, Wausau, WI 54401 in the UW Center for Civic Engagement.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 11:30am-1:00pm Ask the Expert Lunch & Learn: Medical Care After a Sexual Assault: Meet members from the Marathon County Sexual Assault Response Team, Forensic Nurse Examiners Amy Reigert from Aspirus Hospital and Tracy Fremming from Marshfield Medical Center Weston Hospital, to learn about when to seek medical care after a sexual assault. Learn important steps to take after an assault, why seeking medical care after strangulation can be life-saving, and what happens to the evidence collected. Find out about reporting options and resources available from other panel members including law enforcement and advocates. The event is free and located online or in person at North Central Technical College, Room A168 in Building A, 1000 Campus Drive, Wausau, WI. Optional lunch from 11:00 AM-11:30 AM prior to presentation for a fee. CEU’s available upon request. To register: https://ntcforms.formstack.com/forms/ask_the_expert_lunch_learn_medical_care_after_a_sexual_assault
For more information or how to make a donation to support survivors please visit our website at Ways to Help/Donate.