End Violence Now Club

by Leisa Mukai

The Peace House student club, End Violence Now (EVN) has had a busy fall!  At Club Day they recruited lots of new participants.  This club is actively engaged with the high school and the community.

EVN launched into the school year by creating  a domestic violence themed scarecrow “Peace House Perry” for the Mc Polin Barn walk. This purple bedecked and masked scarecrow sent the message that interpersonal violence needs to end now in our community.

For Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), EVN launched the purple pinky campaign at Park City High School.  When asked about their purple pinkies students shared key facts about domestic violence such as 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic violence in their life time. When Superintendent Sorenson of South Summit School District heard about this campaign he joined in and enlisted his staff and challenged Superintendent Jerre Holmes of North Summit School District to sport purple pinkies as well.  Like all successful grassroots campaigns the reach is often surprising! Students also made purple ribbon pins that they passed out to fellow students to commemorate DVAM.

EVN supported community DVAM activities as well.  They helped set up the Family Fall Festival in Midway and provided refreshments at the cookie social following the Candlelight Vigil, which commemorates lives lost in Utah by someone they loved.

In November EVN rocked signs at the corner of  Bonaza and Kearns for three hours on the first big freeze day of the year for the November 9, Live PC Give PC that supports so many area nonprofits including Peace House.  They displayed not only amazing endurance but also a great talent for getting trucks and cars to honk.  Students wrapped up November with a hard hat tour of the new 42,000 square foot Peace House from security, pantry, daycare, crisis housing and transitional housing.  They saw it all!

In December, EVN will gather for a Peace Cake party to celebrate the end of a great fall and plan for an exciting spring. Listen for EVN’s PSA on KPCW in December.

Superintendent Sorenson with his purple pinkies.