FARMINGTON — The 15th annual March for Violence-Free Communities begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the gazebo in Meeting House Park on Main Street.

The event is hosted by SAVES, Franklin County’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services.

Participants will gather in the park across from the Superior Courthouse. Marchers are invited to carry signs, pass out brochures with information about violence and local resources, make noise and have fun.

The march will lead to a Speak Out at The Old South Church on Main Street. Dr. Ellen Grunblatt, MD, LCPC, who has been affiliated with SAVES for 30 years, will be the keynote speaker.

Following Grunblatt’s speech, the community is encouraged to come forward in a Speak Out, an opportunity to talk about their experiences, feelings and thoughts about the issues surrounding all forms of violence. It is a safe space for people to say as much or as little as they like, organizers said.

For 30 years, SAVES has helped people in Franklin County recover from the trauma of sexual violence. Through school- and community-based programs, SAVES works to raise awareness, educate and prevent sexual violence.

In October of 2011, SAVES merged with two sexual assault services agencies in Oxford and Androscoggin counties to create Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services. 

For more information, visit the website at www.sapars.org. The statewide, toll free, 24-hour helpline is 1-800-871-7741.

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