It wasn’t one of these rainy days when I was impatiently waiting to run and feel all the cleansing sense of water and fresh smell of grass.

It was one of those sunny summer days where I was enjoying the long-day hours after school. That day was the first and last soccer game I ever played where a boy broke two of my toes with a kick during my attempt to score a goal.

I was a 12 years-old girl full of energy who carelessly played with broken toes until the end of the game. Even though my broken toes served me well during the game, I was slowed down on the way back to home. Walking with my friend, slowing her down made me take the short way to home. I loved the fact that my home was in the centre of the city and I was always walking within the crowd. The short cut was a small road between two main streets, on the one side of the road there were three new buildings in construction. The city was developing while we were passing by…

I remember myself in the middle of the road watching the crowd grow passing by at both ends of the street.

I remember my voice was cracking the plaster on the walls of those buildings on that road.

I remember another voice with tight arms around my belly over my backpack.

I remember the moment I became stranger to my voice and the moment I thought my friend and I were going to be lost within our screams.

I remember our voices were reaching to the end of the road, people’s faces were changing, crowd was passing by, even though it was obvious we were in danger nobody stopped to help us.

I remember the full energy in my small body and my arms holding my backpack and catching my friend’s bag to smash our heavy books into the face that I never wanted to remember. I don’t recall if I kicked a goal at the soccer game that day, but I do remember that I kicked that man over and over again, with all my might until my friend and I were free.

I no longer felt the pain from my broken toes as I ran the fastest I had ever run home that day.

And today, I am running for Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) to be there for thousands of girls and women calling for support to be free from violence and abuse in their lives and to re-write their stories. Violence against women crossing the borders, it is happening everyday on the streets, at home, on the bus, at the workplace, online, in the centre of the cities, in the suburbs…

I want us to SEE the reality of violence women and girls are facing, HEAR their call of support, and RESPOND to their call.

Today, I am asking you not to be one of those people – that I remember – passing by the streets and did nothing.

You can help us to end violence in girls and women’s lives by:

Joining me in the Vancouver Scotiabank Half Marathon & 5K  to raise funds for BWSS and keep its door open for thousands of women and girls each year.

Supporting me in this run to create a future free from violence

Sharing with your friends, family, and co-workers why they should support BWSS. BWSS can continue to offer its free and confidential services to more women and girls only if you help us:

$15 – provides a dating violence prevention education workshop for two youth

$25 – provides twelve hours crisis line training and support for volunteers

$50 – provides one support group session for two women

All pledges will receive an official tax receipt.

I believe in you and look forward to your support to end violence.

Thank you!

Ela

…Because The Violence Stops Here!