Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Northern Michigan

A White Ribbon Campaign event will take place during a basketball game between Petoskey and Charlevoix at Petoskey High School gymnasium at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15. The event is being organized by the Violence Prevention Team with support from the 100 Men Campaign to encourage local men to get involved in helping end violence against women and girls.The White Ribbon Campaign invites men to be part of the movement to help end this violence by speaking out against it and encouraging respect. The White Ribbon Campaign was started by a group of Canadian men who decided they had a responsibility to speak out about violence against women after the 1991 Montreal Massacre. They organized the White Ribbon Campaign as a way for men to show their opposition to all forms of discrimination and violence against women. Wearing a white ribbon became a symbol of their commitment to end this violence and increase respect for women. Over the years, the White Ribbon Campaign has spread to other countries including the U.S.“We continue to see too many examples of violence against women in the news,” said Violence Prevention Team member Mark Fralick who is also an area educator and coach. “Beyond what we see broadcast through the media, there are many more acts of violence that occur locally, nationally and throughout the world. It’s epidemic.” A 2010 national survey by the Centers for Disease Control found that 1 in 5 women had been raped in their lifetime, and 1 in 4 women had been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Locally, the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) handled 1,001 calls to their 24-hour crisis line, last year. During that same time, the agency’s Safe Home provided emergency shelter for 139 domestic abuse survivors and their children. An additional 557 domestic abuse survivors were provided counseling, support and advocacy through the WRCNM’s domestic abuse program. Last year the agency also provided critical support services to 321 survivors of sexual assault, including immediate support at local emergency rooms.“One goal of the local White Ribbon committee is to mobilize men in the community to support respect and equality for women and girls in their thoughts, their words and their actions,” said Fralick who also volunteers on the White Ribbon Campaign committee. White Ribbons will be provided to men at the basketball game who agree to support the campaign by pledging to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. The Violence Prevention Team consists of key community stakeholders, including representatives from local health agencies, schools, athletic organizations, hospitals, social service agencies, faith-based organizations and the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. These volunteer members have a vested interest in working toward a violence-free community. For more information about the White Ribbon Campaign, Violence Prevention Team or 100 Men Campaign, contact the Community Prevention Educator with the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan at (231) 347-1572.