Cherokee County Domestic Violence Vigil Set for Oct. 15

The 2024 Domestic Violence Candlelight Vigil will be held in Canton Oct. 15 to remember victims of domestic violence and support survivors.

The event, hosted by the Cherokee County Domestic Violence Task Force, starts with a resource fair at 4:30 p.m., with the vigil set to start at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at the green at the Mill on Etowah, 225 Reformation Parkway in Canton.

All are welcome to attend this free event.

First held in Cherokee County in 1998, the vigil is an opportunity to honor and memorialize victims of domestic violence while supporting survivors and all impacted by this crime. The event is held annually in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The theme is “Learning from the Past: Forging Ahead Together.”

During the evening’s program, guest speakers will provide information about domestic violence and how Cherokee County addresses this crime. Survivors will share personal stories of resilience and determination.

Attendees will honor the 119 victims and bystanders killed by domestic violence in Georgia in 2023, in addition to Cherokee County victims from recent years.

The keynote speaker will be Cherokee Family Violence Center Executive Director Meg Rogers.

“I am honored to be selected as this year’s keynote speaker. Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that affects everyone — men, women, and children. For the past 30 years, my life’s work has been serving those affected by domestic violence,” Rogers said. “In the past three decades, we’ve seen society come a long way in ending domestic violence. Victims are heard and supported, and perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted. Our hope is that someday we can end domestic violence once and for all.”

In the past 12 months, Cherokee County has experienced:

♦ 3,020 domestic violence calls to Cherokee 911

♦ 3,117 hotline calls to CFVC seeing assistance

♦ 4,468 shelter bed nights provided by CFVC

♦ 169 temporary protective orders filed by CFVC

♦ 1 domestic violence victim killed in Cherokee County

In 2023, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office and Solicitor-General’s Office received 724 new cases of domestic violence.

The Cherokee County Domestic Violence Task Force is a multidisciplinary community group comprised of government agencies, community-based organizations, survivors of family violence, concerned community members, and professionals. Members work to strengthen and sustain the coordinated community response to family violence in Cherokee County.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, please contact the Cherokee Family Violence Center at 770-479-1703 (or 770-720-7050 en Español). In case of emergency, call 911.