Children In Tow Jennifer Ozgur is a mother, wife and teacher who still finds time to get out and about with the family If you happened to be out on Valentine’s Day, you might have witnessed an event on the old courthouse steps as you walked to your 7pm reservation. That corner of High and Market is no stranger to gathering attention, from Trees of Knowledge to political sandwich boards, but this time the focus was different. Had you been there, you’d have seen females of various ages dancing to a choreographed number with lyrics about breaking the chain of violence against women: the first-ever DubC flash mob for V-Day. For those of you who may be slightly out of the loop, a flash mob is when a group of people plan an artistic event–usually a dance or music–and perform it in a way that simulates spontaneity. They came on the scene about ten years ago and have gained popularity through social media–just search “flash mob” on YouTube. V-Day, created by the playwright of The Vagina Monologues, is held on Valentine’s Day to raise awareness of violence against women. The V-Day movement is also called One Billion Rising, a symbolic reference to the global statistic that one in three women has been a victim of violence. Every Valentine’s Day, people the world over participate in OBR events. OBR recently received major publicity when Anne Hathaway became its celebrity ambassador. The West Chester project was spearheaded by Nora Fitzgerald, dance instructor, choreographer and creator of Confi-dance, a program aimed at promoting both the physical and emotional fitness of young women. Thanks to owner Debra Hess, The Turk’s Head Yoga Studio also got involved by making its facilities available for the One Billion Rising instruction prior to the event. The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County also helped to support the event. There were more than fifty participants, with as many supporters as there were dancers. I believe that this is the perfect type of activity in which families can participate. It provides an opportunity for parents and children to have meaningful conversations about important topics, even if they may be a bit difficult. Rather than avoiding uncomfortable issues, events like OBR can teach children about local organizations committed to generating solutions to society’s problems. If your son or daughter is old enough to have screen time on the internet, why not challenge them to find an upcoming event benefiting a cause of their choosing? That task can set the stage to discuss what charities or foundations you as a family want to support. If they don’t know where to start, you could point them in the direction of next month’s Dash 4 Diabetes and Race Against Violence–perfect for the warmer weather. Maybe it’s the free T-shirt with early registration; maybe it’s bragging rights the following Monday in school; or perhaps it’s the chance to outperform Mom or Dad at the next event. Whatever the motivation, the idea is to unite as a family and solidify your values through all the socially conscious activities the borough provides. jozgur@thewcpress.com
MARCH 2013 | thewcpress.com
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