The Rowan County Domestic Violence Task Force and Family Crisis Council of Rowan County will hold its annual Purple Shoe Memorial beginning Saturday at Salisbury Mall from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Purple Shoe Memorial is a display of shoes designed to bring awareness to the negative impact that domestic violence has on society. Each pair of shoes will include a place card describing the incident that led to the death of a domestic violence victim.
The display, which will continue Monday at the Hurley YMCA from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Tuesday at Coburn United Methodist Church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., contains shoes ranging in various sizes representing North Carolina women, men, children and responding law enforcement officers who lost their lives to domestic violence in 2008.
The community is invited to attend the Purple Shoe Memorial. Family Crisis Council staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide additional information.
On Wednesday, the Rowan County Domestic Violence Task Force and Family Crisis Council of Rowan County will hold their annual Peace Walk in memory of the state’s 2008 victims of domestic violence.
The walk will begin at 1 p.m. at the Rowan County Courthouse with an introduction and announcement of victims’ names with a bell rung in their honor. Doves will also be released in honor of the victims by the Lucky Loft White Dove Release.
North Rowan High School’s Early Childhood Education II class will lead the Peace Walk with a banner designed by the students. The walk is held to bring attention to the negative effects of domestic violence and educate participants about who is impacted by domestic violence.
All citizens of Rowan County are welcome to participate. Signs will direct the path of the walk, which will end at the Salisbury Police Department.
Refreshments will be available afterward at the Trolley Barn.
For more information, contact Sherri Hill, community outreach coordinator for the Family Crisis Council at 704-636-4718, ext. 1053, or e-mail victimsadvocate1@yahoo.com.