Event planned to domestic violence awareness

By Staff
Melissa Cason
The Franklin County Domestic Violence Response Coalition is gearing up to promote domestic violence awareness as part of the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
This year, the coalition will be remembering child abuse victim Andrea Gonzalez with a special service and reception at the Franklin County Detention Center.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office and the coalition are working with the Franklin County Extension Service to complete the memorial for Andrea in front of the detention center. The marker was donated by a company in Tennessee and delivered this summer.
"We have the marker up already, and are about to have bricks laid with a couple of benches, and plants added to area," Pam Ergle said. "Right now we are waiting on it to stop raining to get the bricks down."
The coalition has been planning the memorial for Andrea the last couple of years.
In 2008, the coalition placed a fountain in Red Bay in memory of baby Chance Waldrop, the three-week-old infant who was murdered by his father.
Coalition Co-chair David Hester said it's important that we remember the smallest victims of domestic violence.
The coalition is planning to add live plants to the fountain in Chance's memory in October as well.
The coalition is working to raise money to complete both projects.
"We are asking for a $1 donation for a chance to win a homemade domestic violence quilt," Suzanne Swaim said. "We will be at the Founder's Fest today, and will have the chances available through any coalition member.'
According to national statistics: