Candlelight Vigil Standing vigil against family violence

By Laura Bohnert

On November 5, 2014, the 10th annual Candlelight Vigil, hosted by Whitecourt’s Family Violence Initiative, will be held at the Seniors Circle in Whitecourt. The vigil will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a free barbecue. The silent walk will begin at 6:10 p.m., and the keynote address will be given upon return, at approximately 7:15 p.m. by guest speaker Jo Dibblee. The event is for all ages, and is completely free of charge. The first 100 adults to attend will receive a free gift.

The Candlelight Vigil, as Curtis Lockinger, the Research and Project Consultant for the Whitecourt Family Violence Initiative (FVI) explains, is held as a way to honour both victims and survivors of family violence. “Family violence is everywhere,” explains Lockinger. “There is not a community, group, or socio-economic status that it avoids; everyone is a potential victim. But, by being aware of it, we can help to make a difference and prevent it.”

“The vigil,” Lockinger continues, “was started 10 years ago, shortly after the creation of the Whitecourt Family Violence Initiative (2004), in order to create a forum for both community and agency partners to come together to address this silent issue. It was quite obvious that an awareness event (vigil) was an integral portion of the FVI.”

“The past three years we have seen an increase in attendance to our awareness events.” Last year’s vigil, Lockinger reports, was attended by 93 participants; the year prior there were 110. This year the FVI is aiming for a turnout of between 125 and 150 participants. “We pride ourselves in providing the best possible event experience for our guests,” explains Lockinger, “and we certainly appreciate the support that is shown by the community.”

“The events that we put on are not fundraisers and do not create a revenue,” explains Lockinger. “It costs the FVI to put these events on, but we feel that the topic is important enough, and creating awareness is the key to reducing family violence. We will continue to host these events in order to strengthen the knowledge base in regards to these topics.”

“A topic such as family violence is often one that isn’t talked about,” states Lockinger. “By our increasing numbers to events such as the vigil and, most recently, the sold-out Family Violence Awareness Dinner, we know that family violence is being talked about in our community. We are extremely fortunate that Whitecourt residents are taking ownership and talking about family violence in an attempt to reduce it in our community.”

For anyone interested in getting involved with the Initiative, the FVI is always welcoming community members. The FVI stakeholders meet once a month to discuss progress, create awareness events, and assist with involved agencies. For more information, you can visit the FVI website at www.whitecourtfvi.com, like FVI on Facebook, or follow it on twitter (@whitecourtfvi).