Batesville, In. — October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and two area domestic violence service providers will be presenting several activities to bring attention to the issue and the support services available for victims.
Two high school football games will be part of the month’s focus activities, one being the Sept. 28 Batesville vs. Greensburg game at Batesville and the other on Oct. 5, the Greensburg vs. East Central game at Greensburg. Safe Passage, the provider of domestic and sexual violence for Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, Jefferson and Franklin Counties, and New Directions, domestic violence service provider for Decatur County, will be providing the awareness activities at both football games.
Purple ribbon stickers will be passed out to guests and the cheer teams on both sides will wear purple hair ribbons. Look for the team coaches to wear the purple stickers as well. (Purple is the designated Domestic Violence Awareness color.)
At the Batesville football field on Sept. 28, messages created by the local teen council will be relayed prior to the start of the game. Banners will be hung and an information table set up. The Safe Passage Teen Council will wear purple shirts and also have a “purple” face-painting table. The BHS cheer section’s theme is “white out” with several students likely decked in purple for DV awareness.
Both cheer teams will toss out purple mini footballs and beach balls with the purple ribbon symbol as another way to engage the crowd and create better awareness of domestic violence.
At the East Central vs. Greensburg game Oct. 5 at Greensburg, both cheer teams will also be wearing purple hair ribbons and DV purple stickers will be passed out. Look for information tables and signs on both sides from the two organizations.
Purple ribbons and banners will be hung in October in many of the communities for Domestic Violence Awareness month.
