Safe Harbor Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Domestic Violence

Becky Callaham, Executive Director of Safe Harbor, the women's shelter. The names and stories of the women were projected onto the wall during the ceremony.











Me and Cousin Bethie attended the SAFE HARBOR Candlelight Vigil last night at Bergamo Square in downtown Greenville. The vigil honored South Carolina women killed by domestic violence.

SC ranks 8th in the nation in deaths from domestic violence.

Photos of the candle-lighting below. (Admittedly, I am still learning how to take pictures--I do far better in SUNLIGHT. Hopefully, DEAD AIR readers will bear with me as I improve my photography skills!)

...

Photos 1, 2, 3: The candle-lighting ceremony.

Photo 4: Cousin Bethie holds candles.

Photo 5: Carolyn Wade, whom I knew years ago as a friend of Bill W, shared the experience, strength and hope that she gained as a survivor at Safe Harbor, and made us all cry.

She is a wonderful witness.

Photo 6: The featured singers were the Valleybrook Baptist Church Praise Team. Their pastor, Curtis Johnson, also delivered some great oratory about the underlying causes of domestic violence. Unfortunately, my photos of him were even blurrier than this one of the singers. Michael Cogdill, local newscaster, shared what it was like to grow up in a home with a violent father. (He was SO different from his 'objective' and unemotional newsman-persona, I almost did not recognize him as the same person!) Again, the photos weren't so good and the glare from the lights eclipsed his face.

It was a great ceremony and I was honored to take part.

~*~