Anonymous asked: Hi there- great idea, love what you're doing! I'm in Chapel Hill, and I will walk, or if I can't I will definitely fundraise / spread the word! I'm sure I know plenty of people who would get on board for this.
Awesome news! I think we are getting dangerously close to this thing becoming reality!
Did you participate in a Walk for Choice in your local city? It’s time to bring the walk back and make it a regular occurance. Anti-choice attacks on our reproductive freedoms are in full force. Now is not the time to sit back and relax, now is the time for action!
After the Komen decision I started searching Komen related tags on twitter and was pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of pro-woman, pro-choice support for Planned Parenthood and in opposition to breast cancer being politicized. So many pro-choice citizens have dedicated years of time and large sums of money to the Komen foundation and I am certain they all feel quite cheated and used.
There is a positive outlet for your frustration, and that outlet is fundraising and the use of your freedom of speech. Let’s work on transforming the Walk for Choice into a fundraising opportunity. Let’s learn from the many mistakes of the Komen foundation and make this about raising funds and showing the strength and size of the pro-choice community.
My goal locally is to organize a pledge walk/moving pro-choice demonstration where participants have the option to raise funds for a target pro-choice organization. (My initial suggestion is the Carolina Abortion Fund, if they are able to accept donations. Currently waiting to hear back from them.) Even if fundraising is not your cup o tea, you will be encouraged to participate and lend your voice to the crowd.
The objective is to operate at a grassroots level and NOT make the event about selling a commodity or product. The event will be a public form of protest, downtown Raleigh, no vendors hired, no fancy band or after-party. No t-shirts. We will see donations of bottle water for participants.
The goal is not to waste donations on glitz and dazzle but to organize and fundraise for organizations that help women.
Any ideaas/suggestions/comments appreciated.
If you organized a walk in your city last year, consider getting involved again. If you participated or would have participated had you been able to, consider organizing your own event.
Let’s work together and show this country what pro-choice women and men are really about!
Check out my blog about revitalizing the Walk for Choice! Let’s get this going nationwide again!
This has not been a good week, month, or year for reproductive rights. But a year ago today, the Walk for Choice happened, and that was an incredible victory (due mainly to the organizing superpowers of Raven).
It’s important to look back and remember what an incredible statement and victory that day was. We have a lot more battles to fight, but we are not in it alone. We stand together for reproductive rights and equality on all fronts, and we will prevail.
I finally got my film developed from the winter. These are a few captured moments from Nashville, TN’s first Walk for Choice on February 26th.
(via the-womanifesto-deactivated2012)
Currently seeking pro-choicers in NC, especially in the Raleigh area, to organize or participate in a Walk for Choice sometime this year!
Last year, thousands of pro-choice women participated in pro-choice demonstrations and organized under the name “Walk for Choice”. The walks were a protest and demonstration in response to the shockingly brazen attacks on women’s rights and reproductive freedoms. Our goal was to show the law makers and our fellow citizens that women are not afraid to stand in support of abortion rights and access to all reproductive options.
I recently began researching to see if any walks were planned for this year and suddenly the Komen foundation dropped the news they would no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood. As details emerged, the bitter reality of their politics surfaced and people nationwide (myself included) quickly spoke out in anger at the decision. Through searches on twitter, tumblr, and facebook I discovered that lots of people had made the decision to no longer participate in Komen benefiting walks/runs.
What better venue to channel your frustrations than into a pro-choice walk/run in support of Planned Parenthood, women’s rights, and reproductive justice?
What if we transform the mission of the walks into a similar fundraising goal WITHOUT the high overhead of t-shirts, and gift bags, and fancy banners and after parties? What if we get our friends, family, and colleagues to donate to our cause and make sure ALL of that money goes to organizations like Planned Parenthood or the National Abortion Federation?
If you would like to get involved either email at WalkForChoiceRaleigh@gmail.com or submit via the “Ask a Question” button above the site info. Looking for people to pledge to walk and/or people interested in helping me organize a successful event!
