Hundreds of people flocked to Caroline Bay at the weekend to make their stand against family violence.
Hosted by Te Rito South Canterbury, the White Ribbon Day event aimed to raise awareness of violence against women.
White Ribbon, a worldwide campaign, sets out to rewrite the old adage that ‘‘boys will be boys’’ by saying that ‘‘boys will be the men we teach them to be’’.
Local organiser Michelle Thew said the event exceeded all expectations.
‘‘The day was just wonderful, and the feedback was that everyone seemed to really enjoy it.
‘‘Some of the groups that participated were already talking about next year.’’’
The free family-friendly day featured performances from a Tongan boys’ group, the Waiata Fit group, Roncalli Kapa Haka, a local saxophone player, and visits from Fenz and the police.
Unfortunately the White Ribbon riders could not make an appearance this year but event-goers were treated to free hamburgers from the Rapid Relief Trust who said they served nearly 300 burgers on the day.
There was also a local motorcycle ride around South Canterbury to bring attention to White Ribbon day.
Mrs Thew said it was the first time the event had a purely local focus.
‘‘It was really wonderful and diverse and just gave a lot of groups the opportunity to showcase what’s going on here.
‘‘It was a really good crew of locals putting their heart and soul into something with a message that really mattered.’’
She said the event felt like a really good jumping off space for the future.
‘‘We all want to do it again this way next year and continue with that strong local focus and if we get the White Ribbon riders visiting next year that will be a bonus.
‘‘It felt like a really complete event even without that.’’
Mrs Thew said it was important to get behind messages like White Ribbon day.
‘‘It’s something that isn’t talked about enough, it’s important to know that it happens, it’s important to know that there is a massive amount of support either for victims of family harm or for people that are concerned about feeling stressed and not managing their own behaviour.
‘‘It’s good to know there are places to go and people you can talk to.
‘‘It just tells people very clearly that if they’re experiencing or worried about the journey of family harm, that they’re not on their own.’’
Te Rito South Canterbury will continue its work towards ending family violence and its website features many different links for men and women who are seeking help.
