Race to End Domestic Abuse on Oct. 5

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — National news stories in recent months have covered events involving incidents of domestic violence. Locally, and also in the larger region, individuals can make a difference in October with many happenings for Domestic Violence Month, including the 18th annual Race to End Domestic Abuse at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5.

A domestic violence awareness ribbon

    “There has been an elevated conversation in Maine the last few years from the state’s CEO on down on how it affects more than the individuals involved,” said Art Jette of the Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance (the respective Penobscot and Piscataquis county agencies merged last year to pool resources to end domestic violence) which will be hosting the Race to End Domestic Abuse in downtown Guilford. “Because it has become such a national issue it makes it more likely people will talk about the issue more this year than in the past,” Jette said.
    The five kilometer (3.1 miles) Race to End Domestic Abuse is the largest single fundraiser in Piscataquis County for the Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance — Womancare hosted the race the 17 years before the agency merger. Registration begins at noon and the runners will head off at 1 p.m. from the athletic field on Water Street, or Route 15, across from Lovell’s Hardware.
    The 2014 edition of the Race to End Domestic Abuse will feature a new route, following the same 5K course as for the Guilford River Festival. Runners will take off and turn onto the river walk and then take a right onto Route 23 to cross into Sangerville. From there the course heads up School Street to Hudson Avenue and continues back toward the athletic field to finish the 3.1-mile loop.
    “Runners that come in first and second place overall will each get a gift certificate for $125 from Salomon, that’s pretty significant,” Angie Alfonso of the Spruce-Run Womancare Alliance said. Prizes will also be awarded to the top male and female finisher and medals will be presented to the top male and female runners in three age divisions — new for 2014 will be a 19 and under category, ages 20-59 and 60 and over.
    Registration can be done at www.sprucerun.net and more information can also be found by calling 564-8165.
    Oct. 5 will also feature a walking route starting at 1 p.m. “Walkers are going to follow the runners and then turn left on Route 23 and head back on Route 15 to the athletic field,” Alfonso said. Walkers, and runners, are encouraged to bring in pledges for their participation on and the team that collects the greatest amount of pledges will receive a special recognition. A total of $20 in pledges equals a T-shirt and $100 pledged will result in a special prize.
    Alfonso and Jette said that often walkers will put their new T-shirts on prior to heading out. They said this is nice, such as sea of purple which is the color for domestic violence awareness, but what could make for an even greater statement would be if participants wore shirts representing the school, business, church or organization they are from as they walk to end domestic abuse.
    Alfonso said based on her own experiences seeing all these people and who they represent would be a powerful statement. Jette said this could lead to a challenge for other organizations to accept the challenge to end domestic abuse.
    “The identity of who is working to end this scourge is really more powerful than under the anonymity of the purple shirts and is kind of a challenge to the rest of us,” Jette said.
    The afternoon of Oct. 5 will include a community cookout with “The Music Maker” Steve Pratt providing entertainment. “The Darling’s ice cream truck I think will be there again, that was a hit last year,” Alfonso said.
    “This will be our first event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, there will be a walk in Lincoln and in Bangor,” Alfonso said, with these walks tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8 in northern Penobscot County and mid-day in downtown Bangor on Thursday, Oct. 23. Other events involving the tribal communities of Penobscot County are set for the first week in October with an Oct. 1 tree lighting and vigil and a Take Back Our Heritage Run/Walk Oct. 5.
    Domestic violence survivor and inspirational speaker Carmen Blandin Tarleton will be at the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. to share her story, recovering from an attack by her estranged husband which has then involved being one of only four people in the U.S. with a successful full facial transplant.
    “That will be a good kickoff to the month,” Alfonso said, with Tarleton scheduled to speak to students at Foxcroft Academy on Oct. 3.
    “For the last several years Penobscot County had the Paint Penobscot County Purple campaign,” Jette said. “It is encouraging businesses to put a purple ribbon on the door or put something purple in the window to make a statement on domestic violence.”
    The purple campaign is now extended to Piscataquis County, and residents can do likewise with their homes or dress in purple attire to help spread the message.
    Jette said 2-foot tall purple ribbons, made out of plywood and staked into the ground, will be placed around the two counties by various town welcome signs. “By putting at the welcome signs we are hoping if someone asks what that purple ribbon is all about someone will tell them and hopefully start a conversation,” he said.
    “We are going to begin with 44 of these ribbons,” Jette said. He said several lumber companies and the Corinth United Methodist Church provided the materials with church members making the purple ribbons. “We have picked out a whole list of communities where they are going to be located along major routes of travel,” he said.
    “Hopefully word will get out on the locations of these,” Jette said, with the message being spread by social media such as pictures of the purple ribbons. “Really it’s about trying to engage people and having a conversation about these kind of things,” he said.
    The Spruce-Run Womancare Alliance will be donating books and resources to libraries throughout the two counties with the Knowledge Empowers Library campaign. Alfonso said selections include titles geared toward different age groups, such as books addressing the issue of teen dating violence for high–schoolers, and related information.
    “So readers who want to learn more about the issue can go to their local library,” Alfonso said.
    “When people are really seeking information on something or a topic that really resonates I think it’s important to have these books, both fiction and non-fiction,” Jette said. “It kind of puts it in perspective. Everyone thinks domestic violence is the black eye or bloody lip but by that instance it’s really far down and very few see the genesis of it.”
    “People aren’t comfortable talking about it, so people are hesitant to get involved or don’t know how to get involved,” Jette said, saying the various events throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month can be a great way to start.
    “There’s some neat people around here who really want to help and have strong ideas,” Jette said. “Anyone who feels like they have a desire to in some way end domestic violence should not be afraid to bring their ideas forward.”
    The Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance can always use volunteers, who will be trained, for tasks such as assisting in the office, manning the 24-hour hotline or even providing a safe space for those escaping abuse. “If people really want to be part of the solution they can just give us a call,” Jette said.