Public Invited To Tree Lighting Oct. 1 to Commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The message is clear: "Domestic Violence Has NO Place In Our Community."

To bring that point home, community leaders are inviting the public to attend a tree and street lighting event on Monday, Oct.1 to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month in downtown Enumclaw.

Though typically portrayed as physical abuse between couples, domestic violence can take a variety of forms, said organizer Trip Hart for LINCCK (Linking Civility, Compassion and Kindness) who is overseeing the event. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that controls another person, he said, and can take the form of emotion and psychological abuse between couples, siblings, children and elders or vice versa.

The 30-minute program includes:

• Dean Smith, of Live to Forgive Ministries, who will share how domestic violence can affect the family and surrounding community.
• Jen Batts, Enumclaw's domestic violence advocate, who will briefly discuss the change over the last few years in our court’s prosecution of DV batterers.
• Victoria Throm, the creator of Purple Light Nights® and chair of Covington's Domestic Violence Task Force.

State Reps. Christopher Hurst and Cathy Dahlquist, Enumclaw Mayor Liz Reynolds, Enumclaw Schools Superintendent Mike Nelson, and a few school board members are confirmed to attend, Hart said.

In addition to the lighting of the tree, the city of Enumclaw will be hanging purple lights on street posts and several businesses will also have lights on display as a show of solidarity.

As in years past, there will also be silhouettes set up around downtown as part of Silent Witnesses -- visual reminders of those who were victims of domestic violence, Hart said.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on the corner of Cole Street and Initial Avenue and is expected to last about 30 minutes. Refreshments will be available.

LINCCK, a committee of the Rainier Foothills Community Health Network, promotes ways to decrease violence in our society, and encourages positive behaviors and social interactions towards this goal. For more information or to purchase your own purple lights to show your support, please call LINCCK at 360-825-5581.