Will County Take Back the Night Vigil & March

Women and men of all ages are invited to take a stand against sexual violence at the 15th annual Will County Take Back the Night march and rally on October 6. Take Back the Night brings survivors, supporters, activists and community leaders together in a call for the end of violence against women.

Take Back the Night 2011 is scheduled for Thursday, October 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Joliet West High School, 401 North Larkin Avenue, Joliet.

This year’s keynote speaker is Ms. Carmina Salcido, a violence survivor from Sonoma County, California. In 1989, when Carmina was three years old, her father went on a killing spree, murdering Carmina’s mother, aunts and grandmother. He then slashed the throats of his three young daughters, leaving them for dead in the county dump. Miraculously, tiny Carmina was the sole survivor. Carmina summoned the strength to find forgiveness and closure, and later went on to compete on American Idol and recently released her book, Not Lost Forever: My Story of Survival.

The free event will also include a candlelight vigil honoring women and children from Will County who were murdered over the past ten years. The night will culminate with an energizing march down Larkin Avenue, where marchers will take the message of a violence-free world to the streets.

 Participants are urged to participate in a pantry drive by bringing non-perishable food items, paper goods or grocery store and gas station gift cards to be collected at the event. These donations will be distributed for use by area domestic violence shelters.

For more information, go to http://www.willtbtn.com or http://www.facebook.com/willtbtn.