On Monday, Impact Grande Prairie and Odyssey House invite members of the community to wear purple and take part in Take Back The Night, an initiative to raise awareness around sexual violence and prevention.
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion at Muskoseepi Park with sign making. Opening ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. with burgers and a barbecue at the Amphitheatre for anyone attending.
The march gets underway at 6:30 p.m. down 102 Street, following 99th Avenue, and turning back just past Earls Kitchen & Bar, looping around past the Co-op Food Store back to finish at Muskoseepi Park.
According to a study by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, only 1 in 3 Canadians understands what consent means. Take Back The Night began in the 1970s and is known to be the earliest worldwide effort to combat sexual and gender-based violence. There are hundreds of Take Back The Night events all over the world, in an effort to end sexual and intimate partner violence.
If you have experienced any form of sexual violence and need crisis support or counselling in the Grande Prairie area, call Pace Sexual Assault Centre at 780-539-6692, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.