MONROE - There were 833 candles burning Saturday at Twining Park.
They flickered silently, lighting up the park near the band shell, a symbol of an often unreported fact that throughout Green County and Wisconsin domestic abuse is real.
And there are people who suffer from it every day.
Each candle represented a victim of domestic abuse. Forty-nine represented the fatalities from domestic violence in Wisconsin in 2007; 342 represented the victims of domestic abuse in Green County last year; and 442 of them represented the children who were hurt because of domestic abuse in Green County in 2007.
Green Haven Family Advocates had its first scavenger hunt and autumn festival on Saturday to raise money for the programs that help and offer support to victims in Green County.
The number of people who suffer from violence in Green County is surprising, Green Haven director Alice Franks Gray said.
"You don't think of how many people are hurt every year," she said. "Most people would never guess it would be that many."
Teams from across the county came together to raise money for Green Haven. Franks Gray said about $8,000 was raised. The event was so successful she hopes to repeat it next year.
Teams traveled across the county looking for clues and answering questions about local history, and even visited local "haunted" spots. When they returned, they were able to share stories, joke about what teams took the longest to complete the course and have something to eat.
D.J. Miles and Georgien Walls, two members of the same team, said it took them about an hour and a half to complete the scavenger hunt. They expected their team to win the contest.
What they enjoyed most, they said, was being able to raise money for Green Haven.
"We'd do it again next year, especially if we win," Miles laughed.
Green Haven offers a 24-hour crisis help-line, crisis intervention and support, emergency temporary shelter, a women's support group, a children's group and community education and speakers.
More information about Green Haven is available at 325-6489 or on the Web at greenhaven@tds.net.
They flickered silently, lighting up the park near the band shell, a symbol of an often unreported fact that throughout Green County and Wisconsin domestic abuse is real.
And there are people who suffer from it every day.
Each candle represented a victim of domestic abuse. Forty-nine represented the fatalities from domestic violence in Wisconsin in 2007; 342 represented the victims of domestic abuse in Green County last year; and 442 of them represented the children who were hurt because of domestic abuse in Green County in 2007.
Green Haven Family Advocates had its first scavenger hunt and autumn festival on Saturday to raise money for the programs that help and offer support to victims in Green County.
The number of people who suffer from violence in Green County is surprising, Green Haven director Alice Franks Gray said.
"You don't think of how many people are hurt every year," she said. "Most people would never guess it would be that many."
Teams from across the county came together to raise money for Green Haven. Franks Gray said about $8,000 was raised. The event was so successful she hopes to repeat it next year.
Teams traveled across the county looking for clues and answering questions about local history, and even visited local "haunted" spots. When they returned, they were able to share stories, joke about what teams took the longest to complete the course and have something to eat.
D.J. Miles and Georgien Walls, two members of the same team, said it took them about an hour and a half to complete the scavenger hunt. They expected their team to win the contest.
What they enjoyed most, they said, was being able to raise money for Green Haven.
"We'd do it again next year, especially if we win," Miles laughed.
Green Haven offers a 24-hour crisis help-line, crisis intervention and support, emergency temporary shelter, a women's support group, a children's group and community education and speakers.
More information about Green Haven is available at 325-6489 or on the Web at greenhaven@tds.net.