April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Canyon Creek Services have their hands full with three events to invite the Iron County community to join them in their victim advocacy starting with their (st)ART by Believing Day on Wednesday, April 6, from 3-6 p.m.
(st)ART by Believing Day is a free event that CCS have partnered with the Southern Utah Museum of Art to produce that will feature live music and family-oriented activities like chalk art and free snacks.
Start By Believing Day is a seven-year-old Utah-based tradition and nonprofit organization whose mission is to “end silence and change the way we respond to sexual violence,” according to the Start By Believing Day website.
They do this by encouraging groups and individuals to post videos of themselves pledging to believe sexual assault victims on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and to host events like CCS’ (st)ART by Believing Day. At the event, SUMA will display clothing decorated by sexual assault victims as a continuation of the 1990’s tradition “The Clothespin Project.”
On April 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., CCS will host their “Chalk About Consent” event in front of the Gerald R. Sherratt Library, wherein members of CCS and the Southern Utah University Health and Wellness Center will present topics and discussions on relationship boundaries and consent alongside concessions and sidewalk chalk for students who come.
SUU Health and Wellness’ mission is to “promote holistic health and well-being of students through comprehensive programming, peer to peer support, and preventative education,” which they accomplish through outreach events like Chalk About Consent and are available to any students in their office in the Sharwan Smith Student Center room ST-175.
CCS’ keynote event will be “SAAM Jam” at the Cedar City Main Street Park from 6-8 p.m. on April 22. The SAAM Jam will be a live performance by Cedar City local band Apollo’s Army and food will be available from a variety of fantastic local food trucks including Tacos Barraza, Antojitos, The Soda Nerd, The Corndog Company and more.
April 27 is Denim Day and CCS is encouraging Iron County’s businesses to allow their employees to wear denim jeans and to post pictures of themselves on social media and tagging @ccreekservices. CCS is also hosting a fundraising contest for Denim Day which teams can register for on their website.
According to CCS’ press release, one third of Utah women and four percent of Utah men experience rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes, and these events will provide a platform for Iron County’s community to advocate for victims together. Anyone who wants to assist the shelters directly can apply to volunteer or donate on the CCS website.
Article by: Janzen Jorgensen
news@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of Hannah Busing courtesy of Unsplash
