09/18/2026
📣📣On behalf of DART, I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who came out to Take Back the Night yesterday. As the event coordinator, my heart is full of an overwhelming sense of gratitude, solidarity, and hope. I am reminded that reclaiming the night is not something we do alone—it is something we achieve through collective power, unity, and relentless support.
We came together last night to shatter the silence, to honor survivors, and to demand an end to sexual violence. But an event of that magnitude—and that much heart—does not just happen. It takes an absolute village. Therefore, I want to take a moment to look at the pillars of that village and say thank you.
💜First, to our incredible planning committee. You were the heart and soul of the event. Months ago, it was just a vision. You offered your time, navigated logistics, coordinated safety, and poured your personal passion into every single detail. Thank you for your tireless leadership and for holding the space with so much care.
💜To our volunteers, the boots on the ground. From setup to the logistics behind the scenes, you worked selflessly to create a space that was safe, welcoming, and profoundly powerful for all of us. You brought the energy, the empathy, and the dedication that kept us all moving forward safely. We literally could not have done this without you.
💜To our courageously gifted speakers and artists: thank you for sharing your truth, your voices, and your art with us last night. It takes immense vulnerability, strength, and bravery to stand before a crowd and speak out against violence, to share stories of survival, and to heal out loud. Your words and your creativity broke the silence last night and will remain with us.
💜To our sponsors and community partners, thank you for standing with us. Your financial and material support did more than just fund key pieces of this event. Your sponsorship is a public statement. It tells our community that you refuse to look away, and that you are actively investing in a safer, more just world. Thank you for putting your resources behind this vital cause.
💜To the organizations and advocacy groups who partner with us. Your partnership proves that we are stronger together. Thank you for being there last night, but more importantly, thank you for the work you do the other 364 days of the year. You are the foundational support and lifeline for survivors in our community, and your presence last night reminds us that no one has to walk this path alone.
💜Finally, thank you to everyone who showed up last night to march, to listen, and to support. Because of every single person there, we didn't just host an event last night…we built a sanctuary. We took back the night, and we made it clear that survivors are seen, heard, and supported in our community.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your time, your passion, and your unwavering support. Let's keep marching forward together. 🤍🤍
A special thank you to:
➡️Safe & Well Oxford for your sponsorship and commitment to our work.
➡️Independent and Food Basics in Ingersoll for donating all the food and drinks, and to Evergreen Coffee for providing us with delicious coffee.
➡️Unifor Local 88 for loaning us tables and materials.
➡️Our community partners, Two Row Creeations and Oxford County Rainbow Coalition.
➡️OSAS, DASO, and Ingamo for your support and commitment to VAW in our community.
➡️The Town of Ingersoll.
And finally, to our event speakers and artists:
▫️Sarah Stevens who offered our land acknowledgement.
▫️Laura McCreery who MCed the event and spoke on behalf of OSAS.
▫️Patricia Marshal-DeSutter who spoke with true vulnerability and hope.
▫️Keegan Marshal-DeSutter who led the smudge.
▫️Eirinn Todd who read some of her beautiful poetry.
▫️Kelly Welch who spoke for a call to change, as well as drummed and sang for us to begin and end our event.
▫️Lindsay Wilson who spoke to rally community engagement and understanding.
▫️Brooke McCoy who got loud on the megaphone for us.
Thank you, Oxford County—together we can shatter the silence and stop the violence! ♥️
