We are very pleased to announce that Ron Redmond, Executive Director of the Church Street Marketplace and social activist with the White Ribbon Campaign of Vermont, will give the keynote address at Laura's March on September 11. Mr. Redmond describes the WRC of VT, begun in December, 2006, as involving a group of “…Vermont men from diverse backgrounds working to end men's violence against women. We are affiliated with and recognize the pioneering work of the White Ribbon Campaign in Canada, established in 1991. Canada’s White Ribbon Campaign has inspired campaigns in more than 50 countries.” He adds, “… Day-to-day leadership is provided by an advisory committee. Any man committed to ending violence against women is welcome to join our ranks.” It should be noted that this organization is a non-profit run exclusively by volunteers and that all contributions are tax-deductible.
Update for June 2010
Our May 12 fundraiser, held at Magnolia Bistro, for scholarships for children at the Children’s Advocacy Center to attend camps and other enrichment programs was a big success with close to 100 people in attendance and a wonderfully eclectic assortment of donated items for auction that drew many bids.
As a result of ticket sales, auction item purchases, and donations to the Fund specifically for scholarships, we raised over $6,000. Kristine Bickford, the director of the Children’s Advocacy Center and our partner for the evening, has been selecting children to receive Laura’s Gift scholarships and matching them with programs that are appropriate to their needs, interests, and talents.
Among our honored guests was Joan Carson, the director of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Joan received the 2010 Laura’s Spirit Award for the outstanding work she does in providing compassionate care, support, and services to victims of sexual assault. Another special guest, attending with her brother and parents, was Taylor Fontaine, who created the beautiful artwork displayed on our invitation and poster.
Hosts July and Shannon prepared delectable appetizers and, with their competent and professional staff, helped make the evening as wonderful and relaxing as it was. Kris Nelson of Vermont Wine Merchants provided an assortment of delightful wines to sample. That Kris had actually attended the same high school as Laura and knew of her was a wonderful synchronicity.
Many volunteers also offered their specialized services. Alexandra Tursi and Carrie Pettee of Kelliher, Samets, and Volk helped publicize the event extensively; and Andy Gimino took lots of photographs of the evening.
Next on the agenda for the Fund is the planning of the 2010 Laura’s March, which will take place on September 11 at Oakledge Park. There will also be a dedication ceremony, an official inauguration of Laura’s Room, the interviewing and counseling room at the Women’s Rape Crisis Center.
We will let you know more about the various scholarships awarded, the 2010 March, and the dedication ceremony, as well as other happenings, as details emerge.
Please check back to this page to see the May 12 photographs that will be posted soon.
May and June Beneficiaries
Besides awarding scholarships to children in the Children’s Advocacy Center, the LKW Fund also made donations to the following organizations:
Dirt Divas, a mountain biking camp for adolescent girls that not only helps girls hone their biking skills but also teaches them healthy and appropriate lifestyle choices.
Girls on the Run (Vermont), an international organization whose goal is to instill in pre-teen girls through running self-respect and healthy lifestyles.
Parallel Justice, a national organization that seeks to empower victims of crime and help them rebuild their lives.
Raptor Camp (of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science), a sanctuary and rehabilitation center for birds of prey that offers educational nature programs to children.
Save Our Strays, an organization committed to pet welfare and assisting in-need pet owners care for their pets in their own homes.
We selected these organizations and programs not only for the invaluable work that they do but for other reasons, too. Laura herself was a victim of a most brutal and vicious crime. However, in life, she was passionately involved in many activities. While in high school, she won trophies as a runner and shot putter on the Track and Field team. When she moved to Vermont, she enjoyed mountain biking as a pastime and even raced from time to time. She had also taken up bird watching and loved to read books identifying various species, and we shall always remember her as a champion of animal welfare.
Update for May 2010
At our May 12 event, the 2010 Laura’s Spirit Award will be given to Ms. Joan Carson for her dedicated service to women and children who are victims of sexual violence or abuse and the crucial work she does on their behalf.
Joan is a staff nurse in the Emergency Department of Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington and the Coordinator of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program and chairperson of the Pediatric Assault Work Group. The statewide SANE program was established in Vermont in the 1990s by a few dedicated nurses to meet the needs of victims of sexual violence or abuse and to develop on-going working relationships with law enforcement officials, advocates, and educators.
When Joan became involved in the SANE program, she dedicated herself to its growth after treating patients whose needs, including emotional ones, were not being met with the immediacy and regard they deserved. She says that, “It seemed that these patients needed nurses who not only provide compassionate care (something that we do every day) but could be witnesses to their experience and trauma while helping them take back control of their lives.” Joan has had a particular focus on the special needs of child victims. She helped to develop a 24-hour available pediatric SANE program at Fletcher Allen that administers to children by providing them with “… easier access, referral and follow-up…,” and incorporates “… videography of exams, formal case review and radiology review, collaboration with pediatrician and child abuse expert Karyn Patno, and established education for SANEs.”
In its early days, the SANE program at Fletcher Allen had only 2 registered nurses, but that number has now increased to 17, 5 of whom have pediatric training. One of Joan’s goals as a member of Vermont’s SANE Advisory Board is to have pediatric services throughout Vermont so all the state’s affected children can get the care and resources they need with thoroughness and immediacy.
Update for April 2010
April has been a busy month for the Fund. On April 15, board member Ellen Sklar represented the LKW Fund at the Dismantling Rape Conference at UVM, where she displayed Fund brochures and a poster detailing our upcoming May 12 silent auction and wine-tasting at Magnolia Bistro. Ellen also attended several workshops and reported that overall “The conference was very informative and encouraged me to think about what in our culture allows rape and other forms of abuse to be so prevalent. It strengthened my belief that we are all responsible for tackling this issue.”
The Fund is progressing with plans for the May 12 event. Board member Heather Allin has been busy selecting a delectable appetizer menu with Magnolia owner Shannon, who will offer some interesting wines to sample. For those who prefer something other than wine, there will also be a cash bar. Wonderful auction items are accumulating. (For a detailed list, please see our Silent Auction
page under Events.)
Kristine Bickford, the executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, will select a recipient for Laura’s Spirit Award. We are eager to let you know more about this person when that information becomes available. Like the two previous recipients, this recipient will be someone who exemplifies Laura’s own passion for community service and working with children.
Update for March 2010
The LKW Fund is now planning our next fundraiser, a silent auction, to take place on May 12 at 5:30 at Magnolia Bistro. This time, we are raising money for the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, which administers to children who have been impacted by sexual abuse either directly or indirectly.
The Fund is privileged to be working with Kristine Bickford, Executive Director of CAC, who has expressed the need for “… resources to provide scholarships for any summer camp [or program] that would spark a child’s interest…” and have these children “… immersed in a healthy environment that would be beneficial to them on so many levels.”
We wholeheartedly agree and are committed to raising as much money as possible for these scholarships and hope many of you will join us in supporting this worthy cause.
July and Shannon, proprietors of Magnolia Bistro, are once again letting us use their wonderful space and helping us plan a wine-tasting and delicious appetizer menu. A helicopter flying lesson, 2 tickets to a Red Sox game on a Friday night in June, and a Jazzercise membership are just three of our spectacular items up for auction.
If you would like to donate an item, please contact us at lkwfund@yahoo.com. You can also support this specific cause by sending a donation to the LKW Fund, PO Box 65176, Burlington, VT 05401.
As details emerge, we’ll keep you posted on this page.
