Signature event also raises funding and awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month observed in October
Media Contact: Lucie Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; lucie@eafocus.com; 248.925.6726
Mount Clemens, Mich. – August 12, 2022 – Turning Point, an agency whose mission is to empower domestic and sexual violence survivors through comprehensive services and resources, will present its 15th annual Tara’s Walk on September 24 at Freedom Hill Banquet & Event Center located at 14900 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, Michigan, as well as virtually.
Tara Grant, the mother of two young children, was tragically murdered by her husband in 2007. To keep her memory alive, while increasing awareness of the pervasiveness of domestic violence and promoting efforts to prevent it, Turning Point joined with Tara’s sister, Alicia Standerfer, to honor her memory through the annual Tara’s Walk. Turning Point’s President and CEO, Sharman Davenport, Ph.D., notes the significance of the signature event.
“Tara’s Walk allows us to raise support and awareness around domestic violence and the devastating impact it has on family and friends,” Davenport noted. “We are honored to partner with Tara’s family every year on this event. It enables Turning Point to continue offering critical and immediate assistance for survivors, and builds hope for preventing future situations like Tara’s.”
Turning Point also uses Tara’s Walk as an opportunity to highlight the severity of intimate partner strangulation – a common abuse method in domestic violence cases that may or may not result in death. Tara was strangled to death by her husband before ultimately being dismembered. Christina Boyland, Administrator of Clinical Forensic Nursing Services at Turning Point, is passionate about educating the public on the effects of strangulation.
“Non-fatal strangulation can cause serious negative health outcomes including carotid artery dissection, strokes, seizures, chronic headaches, memory issues, and personality changes,” Boyland shared. “There is a common misconception that if a person can talk, scream, and/or breathe while being strangled, that there isn’t damage. However, a person may be able to talk and breathe until their last breath. The damage occurs from the absence of blood flow to the brain.”
According to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, “a woman who has suffered a non-fatal strangulation incident with her intimate partner is 750% more likely to be killed by the same perpetrator.” The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) reports that nearly one in 10 women experiencing abuse by an intimate partner has been strangled by their abusive partner.
To join in the fight against domestic violence, including intimate partner strangulation, register for Tara’s Walk. Registration is $25, and the funds raised go directly to Tara Liberation Fund, which helps domestic violence survivors in situations that require immediate assistance. Advanced registration is recommended and can be completed here, but onsite registration will also be available. Children 12 years and younger receive complimentary registration. Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m.
About Turning Point
Turning Point provides comprehensive, free, and confidential programs for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, their loved ones, and the community. Services include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, housing, trauma advocacy/counseling, personal protection order assistance, legal advocacy, forensic nurse exams, first response advocacy, prevention, and community education. Second Hand Rose, another Turning Point service, provides survivors with gently used items while providing an opportunity for the community to donate and shop. Serving Metro Detroit for more than 40 years, Turning Point has helped over 100,000 survivors. Visit www.turningpointmacomb.org for more information.