CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center is partnering with Elon Community Church to host the nonprofit’s first-ever Denim Day Dinner and Fashion Show — a new fundraising event that combines fashion, food and advocacy to raise awareness about sexual violence and victim blaming.
Set to take place April 30 in the church’s Community Life Center, the event will honor Denim Day — a global observance rooted in protest against a 1998 Italian court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the survivor had been wearing tight jeans.
Meredith Peffley, executive director of CrossRoads, said the organization’s mission is to support survivors and hold offenders accountable through advocacy, prevention education and trauma-informed care.
“We wanted to do a fashion show for a couple of years around Denim Day,” Peffley said. “Then we had the idea of turning it into a dinner and awareness event, where we could also raise funds for the organization.”
The event aims to raise money for CrossRoads’ services, which include victim advocacy, education, prevention and a lasting community tradition.
“Ultimately, the vision was to create a flagship fundraiser that will happen year after year,” Peffley said. “But we wanted to make sure it always ties back to our mission: supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable.”
Denim Day goes back to public outrage over the court’s decision, which implied the survivor must have helped remove her jeans and therefore had consented. Since then, wearing denim on the last Wednesday in April has become a symbol of protest against rape myths and victim blaming.
The Rev. Randy Orwig, senior pastor at Elon Community Church, said the church’s long-standing advocacy for gender equity and inclusive theology makes it a natural partner for the event.
“The concept of Denim Day, being that a woman was blamed for her assault because she was wearing denim, is so repugnant,” Orwig said. “It’s just incredible that we still have to make these kinds of statements — but we do, and it’s very important to us to stand with survivors.”
Orwig said hosting the event aligns with the church’s long-standing commitment to social justice, gender equality and inclusive theology.
“We have a history here, and continue to have a history of not only speaking about women’s rights from a political or community lens, but also from a theological one,” Orwig said. “We feel it’s important to be involved in something like this.”
Elon Community Church and CrossRoads have collaborated in the past, with the church regularly providing financial donations and volunteer support, according to Orwig. For this event, their partnership has extended into planning logistics, space coordination and community outreach.
“The church has been amazing,” Peffley said. “They jumped right on it when we asked. They’ve helped us secure volunteers, models and even sponsors. It’s been incredible.”
More than 15 sponsors have signed on to support the event, including Labcorp and Replacements Ltd., according to Peffley. Members of the Alamance Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership group have also taken a leading role in organizing the show and recruiting participants.
The fashion show will feature community members modeling outfits that challenge societal norms, incorporate denim and reflect survivor empowerment. Orwig said he hopes the event will bring together people of all backgrounds — faith groups, businesses and local leaders — for a common cause.
“This is not just a women’s issue, or a church issue,” Orwig said. “This is a human rights issue. You can’t come here on a Sunday, talk about loving Jesus, and then walk out and close your eyes to violence against women. The church has to speak out. The church has to be involved.”
CrossRoads, which works in Alamance and surrounding counties, provides a 24/7 crisis line, hospital accompaniment, counseling referrals and prevention programming. Still, Peffley said, societal stigma around sexual violence remains a major challenge.
“We still have a notion in this country that victims are lying,” Peffley said. “Every day, we fight for the belief that survivors deserve to be believed and that offenders should be held accountable.”
Though the event is ticketed and designed as a fundraiser, both Orwig and Peffley emphasized that the greater purpose is visibility and connection.
“Whoever attends, I hope they feel like they’ve been able to help—whether by donating, listening, or simply showing up,” Orwig said.
Looking ahead, Peffley hopes the event becomes standard in the community.
“For the next 365 days until we have our next one,” Peffley said, “I want people to think about how they can support survivors in big and small ways. This isn’t a one-night issue. It’s an everyday issue.”
Elon’s Gender and LGBTQIA Center is also hosting the Consent Carnival, an educational event about healthy relationships, consent and bystander intervention, on April 30 noon to 4 p.m. in Young Commons. In partnership with Elon Feminists for Equality, Change and Transformation, the GLC will share results from its HEDS Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey. The presentation will cover student experiences with consent, bystander actions, sexual violence and knowledge of campus resources.