Vermonters were witness to a brutal murder in 2005 - Laura Kate Winterbottom was abducted and killed in Burlington. The next year Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a University of Vermont student, was abducted and killed. This year, eleven-year-old Brooke Bennett was kidnapped and murdered. Violence against women is on the rise in the state.
As a Vermonter myself, I'm attending Laura's March, hosted by the Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund, an organization trying to stop that statistic from climbing.
This September, LKW Fund will host its second-annual Laura's March, a walk and fund-raiser to be held in Burlington. Proceeds will go to Women Helping Battered Women and the Women's Rape Crisis Center. What's neat about the Fund is that the money goes toward creating activities, programs and initiatives that help women and children.
If you're a Vermont reader, I hope to see you there. If you're a reader from elsewhere, I hope you'll consider giving to this cause, or be a part of a similar activity in your own community. I've started a page on First Giving that you can access here. I hope you'll consider making a contribution -- every little bit counts.