Press release:
Our VOICE presents the 8th Annual Walk A Mile Asheville Event
The People’s March to End Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence
Saturday, May 6th at Pack Square Park
The Event Begins at 10 a.m. & We March at 11 a.m.
WHAT: Our VOICE, Asheville and Buncombe County’s rape crisis and prevention center, presents Walk A Mile Asheville: The People’s March to End Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence. Walk A Mile is our largest fundraising event of the year, sustaining vital services to support survivors of sexual violence in crisis and recovery. This year’s March is presented by our sponsors Native Kitchen and Social Pub and Symmetry Financial Group.
WHO: This year’s March will be emceed by Dex Mitchell of WOXL Mix 96.5, our 2017 Grand Marshal is Barbie Angell, a local poet, writer and survivor, and Our VOICE’s executive director Angelica Reza Wind will kick off the March at 10:45 a.m. There will be a nonprofit village with information about fellow service providers in our community including WNCAP, Pisgah Legal Services, Helpmate, the ACLU and Mountain Child Advocacy Center. This a family friendly event with a children’s area (including a mural-making project), a photo booth, colorful shoes (for all genders and identities), and surprise performances.
WHEN: Saturday, May 6th. Event begins at 10 a.m.; March begins at 11 a.m. $30 Day of Registration. Info: ourvoicenc.org/events/walk-a-mile-asheville.
WHERE: City/County Plaza at Pack Square Park, in downtown Asheville
WHY: In the United States, 1 out of 4 women; 1 out 6 men; and 1 out of 2 transgender people will experience sexual violence. As a rape crisis center, we are there at all stages of a
survivor’s journey. At the emergency room at Mission Hospital, Our VOICE Crisis Advocates
stand strong, advocating, supporting, and focusing on the survivor’s needs throughout these
vulnerable hours of reporting, waiting and examination. From there, Our VOICE staff provide
ongoing support through court advocacy, case management, and free one-on-one counseling sessions addressing trauma, while promoting healing and personal empowerment.
In addition to crisis and recovery services, we are equally dedicated to preventing this violence from happening in the first place. We do so by facilitating in-school workshops to engage students in conversations on bullying, respect, sexting, consent, safe dating, accountability and responsibility. We also host an after-school program from middle-school girls called Climbing Towards Confidence; a summer camping adventure for boys called Backpacking Brothers; and an annual Sexual Assault Prevention Summit in partnership with UNCA.HOW: For more information, contact Angelica Wind, Executive Director at Email: angelicaw@ourvoicenc.org Phone: 828-252-0562, ext. 100 Cell phone: 828-595-7137
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.