CUT KNIFE — The Cut Knife Royal Purple were proud to donate 50 bags to a local woman’s shelter in honour of Purple Thursday. Items were collected prior to Oct. 17 when the ladies gathered to fill the bags with essential items that are often overlooked when fleeing abusive situations.
In July 2022, the Canadian Royal Purple joined forces with local brain injury associations, taking it on as their official cause. As they worked with the brain injury associations, they learned there was a connection between brain injuries and intimate partner violence (IPV) and it was on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The colour purple was originally associated with the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s as the tone stood out in a crowd. The colour lavender was later used in 1978 when nearly 100,000 advocates marched in Washington, D.C. advocating for equal rights for women. In 1981, participants chose to wear shades of purple while observing the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence “Day of Unity.” The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed in Oct 1987, with purple-hued clothing widely embraced.
With the public health restrictions put into place, there was concern for those isolated individuals in abusive situations to be further endangered. It was discovered that 90 per cent of IPV incidents involve hits to the head, face and neck along with strangulation. Research found that 75 per cent of women who experience IPV also experience a brain injury.
The two organizations started Purple Thursday, the third Thursday of October, to create awareness that brain injuries and IPV are linked. The goal was to distribute educational materials and hold informational sessions and webinars to make the situation known to the public. They have also reached out to shelter staff, first responders and medical professionals with these materials provided to the targeted supports. The creation of the Purple Thursday materials and sessions was funded by a grant from the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The CRP helps with donations to support survivors. Supplies are gathered by CRP chapters for “care bags” which are filled for those fleeing violent situations who were unable to gather the essentials they need for daily self-care. These bags are delivered to shelters across the country on Purple Thursday.
The Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association was founded in 1985 by families whose children sustained brain injuries. They have helped individuals and families navigate life with traumatic and acquired brain injuries. The SBIA is a registered charity and provides support and services free of charge to those who are living with an acquired brain injury.
This year, the CRP and SBIA brought Anna Maria Tremonti to Saskatoon to speak to an audience. Tremonti is well known for being an award-winning journalist as a foreign and war correspondent as well as the daily CBC radio program “The Current” for almost two decades. She has firsthand knowledge of IPV as she was married to a man who abused her physically.
Tremonti launched her podcast “Welcome to Paradise” in January 2022, where she shares how her home life was more dangerous than when she travelled through conflict zones and war-torn countries. Her personal story paints a detailed image of how a powerful woman confronts the pain and trauma she had to endure to finally free herself from a life-long sense of shame.
