Prizes, raffles, food and music marked a fundraiser known as the "Purple Ribbon Gala" at the Alamance County Country Club Saturday night. The community gathered to support Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, an organization that provides services to victims of domestic violence.
"It's one of those things that people in the community don't like to talk about," said Molly Whitlatch, Board President of Family Abuse Services of Alamance County. "But it's our neighbors that are going through these situations."
Jill Wiggins attended the event because of her personal experience with the issue.
"It is so desperately needed," Wiggins said when asked how important services are like Family Abuse Services to the community. Wiggins said, when she was 19, her mother decided to end the relationship with her step-father.
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"Instead of letting her go," Wiggins said, "he [the stepfather] decided to not have her be with anyone else, so he took a gun and killed her."
Wiggins said she wishes programs like crisis response, shelter and court assistance, which are all currently offered by Family Abuse Services, were available to her family 38 years ago when she lost her mother.
"I miss her every day," Wiggins said. "I'd give a million dollars to have her back one day."
Wiggins said she encourages those suffering from abuse to seek the help available today and frequently offers advice to families.
"I'll see a mother and a daughter," Wiggins said, "and I'm not jealous, but I do envy them. Sometimes I'll tell the young girl, 'Please appreciate your mom. Even though they're not the perfect person, you've got to appreciate them every day'."
After 20.4% of the student body voted in the 2024-25 student body elections — compared to the 29.9% that voted in the 2023-24 elections — junior Ella Kucera, vice president of communications, said she hopes to increase awareness of the function of Elon University’s Student Government Association. With the decrease in voter turnout for this past election, members of SGA, both current and former, said they hope they can increase voter turnout in future elections by educating the student body about what student government does and making itself more present on campus.
After learning “Myths and Hymns” would be the spring musical, Elon professor and director Alexandra Joye Warren knew she would have to add some sort of story into the song cycle. Song cycles are a group of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence without having an overarching narrative. “Myths and Hymns” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on April 26, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 27 and at 2 p.m. on April 28 in Roberts Studio Theatre in Scott Studios. Tickets are $15 at the door or free with an Elon ID.