MAAV’s 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil & Walk to End Domestic Violence is this Sunday!

Please join us for MAAV’s 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil and Walk to End Domestic Violence. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, October 5th at 4:00 p.m. at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School.

The Candlelight Vigil begins in the middle school auditorium with the reading of the names of all domestic violence homicide victims in Massachusetts since our previous Walk, followed by song and reflection before heading out on a 2-mile walk around the Melrose community. This is a family-friendly event and all are invited.

This year’s walk & vigil will hold extra special meaning as we honor and celebrate the memory of long-time MAAV Board President, Joan Bell.

A long-standing community tradition in Melrose, this is MAAV’s largest annual fundraiser and awareness event. Last year was an outpouring of support and raised essential funds for the programs and services we offer both in the schools and the community. We encourage you to join us in making this year even better.

This event raises awareness about domestic violence, honors abuse victims, and brings the community together to renew its commitment to preventing further violence. Registration for the Walk is open on maav.org and community members are invited to participate as individual walkers or by forming a team. Onsite registration is also available.

We could not bring our prevention work or support services to the community without the generosity of our event sponsors. We are truly grateful for their support and would like to especially thank our top sponsors: Community Champion: Brickpoint Properties, Mystic Valley Sexual Wellness; Hometown Hero: Stephen’s Auto Body, Leigh and Taylor Tinmouth; Community Advocate: Buckalew’s General Store, Lisa’s Family Pizza, Melrose Family Optometry, Hannaford & Dumas, Sullivan Tire, and the Piccolo Family Charitable Foundation. We are also honored by the support of many other businesses and families and encourage you to visit our website (maav.org) to view our long list of allies.

A beloved element of the Walk is the community art project. This year we collaborated with Follow Your Art, who created a piece that captures the longevity and strength of our 30 years and intermingles our 30th year theme of Support, Educate, Celebrate. It will be on display at the Middle School the day of the event and will include a complementing take-home piece for all to enjoy.

Finally, plan to cap off this wonderful afternoon with a post-walk celebration in front of the middle school. We will have the La Qchara and Frosty Ice cream trucks on hand, as well as face painting by Julie Mallon and photos of your group by ED Photography. INspire Cafe will also have a pop-table offering slush and baked treats, generously sponsored by Buckalew’s General Store.

MAAV’s mission is to raise community awareness of domestic and teen dating violence and to promote programs that work to reduce violence and encourage healthy relationships. These programs include community activities, education and prevention in the schools and advocacy services for survivors and family members. For more information, visit maav.org or call 781-662-2010.