Show your support and help raise funds for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, teen dating violence and/or elder abuse by conducting a Denim Days fundraiser.
A Denim Days fundraiser can be conducted anytime during the year. Your support is always greatly appreciated and needed by the victims of violence in Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes Hitchcock and Red Willow counties in Southwest Nebraska.
Since 2001, April has been nationally observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During this time, DASAS works to educate communities about the issues of sexual violence while also working to raise funds to help support survivors. Denim Days is a fundraiser DASAS conducts each April and October, where businesses/employers can show their support by allowing their employees to wear jeans. In return for wearing jeans, employees are asked to make a $5 donation each time they do. Participation varies throughout our communities. At some locations employees may wear jeans once each week, other locations may allow employees to wear jeans as often as they like during the month. At a minimum, employees will wear jeans just once during the month, all in an effort to help raise funds and show support for victims/survivors of sexual violence in April and domestic violence in October in our own communities. If you already wear jeans to work, you can still make a contribution to show your support in taking a stand against sexual violence.
The idea of Denim Days began in 1997 when an 18 year-old Italian girl was raped by her driving instructor, who was later convicted and sentenced to a term of incarceration. In 1999 the Italian Supreme Court overturned the rape conviction of the driving instructor based upon the evidence that the 18-year old victim had been wearing jeans. According to the Court, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help the driving instructor remove them, and by removing the jeans, it was no longer rape but consensual sex. The women of Italian Parliament were disgusted. They protested the verdict by wearing jeans to work. Since then, Denim Days has become a symbol of international protest against rape and sexual assault.
We ask that you get involved in the fight against violence. Show your support by making a donation to wear jeans. You could also wear teal (teal shirt, teal ribbon, etc.) during the month of April and wear purple during the month of October to help bring awareness to our communities. Actions speak louder than words. Challenge someone else to get involved. Start a friendly competition with another business or organization. Everyone can help to make a difference.
You can fill out the sexual assault registration form or the domestic violence registration form and drop your contribution in the mail or drop it by our office at 407 West 5th Street. We greatly appreciate all the support our communities have shown in the past and we look forward to continuing our work throughout Southwest, Nebraska.
If you have any questions or need additional information please contact an advocate at (308) 345-1612.
