Strong women

Ladies on the Rocks present final donation to Alternatives for Women

The Wellington on the Lake recreation centre was filled with joy and happiness early Saturday morning, as twenty-one women who took inspiration from the movie Calendar Girls and ventured well outside their comfort zone to pose in the nude at various County locations in a fundraising project presented a final cheque in the amount of $24,000 to Alternatives for Women.

The Ladies on the Rock pose with a cheque in the amount of $24,000.

Christine Trulsen addressed the crowd, saying that the Ladies couldn’t be happier to help Alternatives for Women reach its goal of opening Vi’s Place, a safe shelter for women, in Picton. “This is a day we were all looking forward to. A day that is filled up with pride, joy, excitement and a sense of accomplishment that seemed so far away in April when we launched our calendar project. Today is a day of celebration. Celebration of the twenty-one ladies on the rocks and those that supported us,” said Trulsen. The Ladies on the Rocks not only reached their goal, they exceeded it, but Trulsen pointed out the project not only raised money, it gave each lady an experience they will never forget. “During the past eight months, all 21 of us have worked very hard and often outside our comfort zone. We have challenged ourselves. We have grown personally. We have formed lasting friendships. We have helped each other to cope with many personal and health issues. We have listened to heartbreaking stories from people who have purchased our calendar. We laughed and cried and we formed a bond that probably only women can form,” she said. Trulsen told the crowd that after selling 1,500 calendars that ended up around the world, the project had officially reached the finish line. “This was an incredible journey of sisterhood and women helping women that none of us will ever forget,” said Trulsen. “In the words of Melinda Gates, ‘A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.’ May this donation help women in need in Prince Edward County to find their voice. To find their strengths and to find for themselves that there is really nothing a woman cannot accomplish.”

Alternatives for Women Executive Director Leah Morgan was ecstatic with the donation. “We are beyond grateful for everything you have done. Not only are the funds such a huge help in getting Vi’s Place up and running, but it was such an empowering project,” she said. Caroline Granger, Chair of Alternatives for Women shared an eye-opening statistic. “When we were here in April, I talked a lot about how upsetting and startling it was that there were over 50 women in our County who did not sleep safely in any given year. This project brought so much more than the money. You actually gave us the courage to be as brave as you were, connect with the community, and deliver a 20-year goal to bring a safe bed to Prince Edward County,” said Granger, adding that Tuesday would mark move-in day at Vi’s Place.

L-R): Caroline Granger, Alternatives for Women Chair, Leah Morgan, Alternatives for Women Executive Director and Kelly Knott, Violence Against Women Counsellor with Alternatives for Women accept the cheque from the Ladies on the Rocks.

MPP Todd Smith remarked that even he had a favourite month on the calendar. “I am kind of partial to the Midtown Brewery biker babes. That was my favourite one,” said Smith, a lighthearted joke before diving into the seriousness behind the fundraising. “We are in the middle right now of 16 days of activism leading up to the 30th anniversary of the attacks on women in École Polytechnique in Montreal. Those women were targeted just because they were women,” he said.

Smith added that it is vital for men to realize they play an important role in ending violence against women, before explaining that he, along with the Associate Minister for Womens Issues Jill Dunlop, visited Vi’s Place in the fall, and said the provincial government is very supportive of the initiative. He expects Dunlop will be returning soon to the County to make an exciting announcement, hinting there may be funding on the horizon.

Mayor Steve Ferguson applauded the efforts of the Ladies on the Rocks. “I just want to tell you what a spectacular job you have done since April, when we were in this room for the launch,” he said, noting that Ferguson ran into the Ladies selling calendars at every event he attended.

Alternatives for Women is nearing the finish line of renovating a house in Picton— known as Vi’s Place—to provide an additional six studio apartments plus an emergency shelter, which will be the first of its kind in the County. Alternatives for Women has served women in the area for 30 years.