Canyon Creek Services is urging Iron County’s businesses and citizens to participate in this years’ Denim Day on April 27 to show solidarity and support for victims of sexual assault.
Iron County’s residents and business-owners can participate in Denim Day alongside CCS by registering to set up fundraisers for their companies and peers. The registered teams and individuals will post selfies with their business’ teams or peer fundraising groups wearing denim on their own Facebook and Instagram pages with #DenimDayUtah and tag @canyoncreekservices.
The business team and peer-to-peer team who raise the highest dollar amounts will be eligible to receive CCS’ 2022 Denim Day Champion Award and a special prize.
Denim Day is a 23-year-old tradition adopted worldwide after an infamous rape case in 1992. wherein an Italian driving instructor was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman and was found guilty but had his guilty verdict overturned in 1999 for the stated reason that his victim’s jeans were tight enough that he would have needed her help removing them.
The day following the amended ruling, Italian Parliament’s female members wore denim and denounced the justices’ decision in protest. Later that year, California State Senate and Assembly members gathered on the steps at the State Capitol in Sacramento to voice their dissent to the myths people used to justify sexual assault.
Peace Over Violence Executive Director Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans saw media coverage of the Sacramento protests and ran with the event, establishing the first Denim Day protest in Las Angeles in April 1999.
Since then, Denim Day has become the longest running sexual violence education campaign according to Denimdayinfo.org.
CCS’ Denim Day fundraising contest is not the only way to advocate for sexual assault victims and education. Anyone can donate directly to CCS and Peace Over Violence at any time. Both services have 24-hour hotlines to help victims find resources such as CCS’ women’s crisis shelter and help finding counseling.
Article by: Janzen Jorgensen
news@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of Anne Nygård via Unsplash
