#WeekInJustice: Week 118
Greetings!
We had a good week that was full of activity at PCAO, and we wanted to share it with all of you. Check out these beautiful pictures from the Community Safety Awards ceremony we held on Wednesday. Our team put the event together at PCC West Campus to honor, thank and congratulate all of the winners for everything they do to make our community a better place to live. The event was filled with personal stories highlighting the wonderful contributions made by awardees. They do everything from helping and feeding their neighbors and engaging young people to keep them on the right path. The event featured a wonderful performance by young musicians from Mariachi Las Aguilitas de Davis. (Pictured above)
Our 2023 Awardees are:
- Lorna Ingram- NAACP
- Mel and Melissa Dominguez- Galeria Mitotera
- Kenny Doyle- Boys and Girls Club
- Anton Russell- The Drawing Studio
- Naomi Vega- Enlightening Hope Project
We are so grateful to have partners like these in our community helping to make Pima County safer and healthier.
Then, on Thursday, Laura was among the local leaders who spoke at the Tucson Sexual Assault Awareness Month (TucSAAM) Kickoff event held at CODAC/SACASA. She was joined by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Police Chief Chad Kasmar, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, Board of Supervisor Chair Adelita Grijalva, and a host of partners in addressing the horrible effects of sexual assault in our community.
The event also featured a wonderful performance by the Esperanza Dance Project. They introduced the theme of “Demand Equity,” to recognize that sexual assault can affect anyone. They also talked about how it’s having an even harder impact on communities of color, the LGBTQ+ population and people with disabilities. The message is to truly stress the importance of believing victims, standing by them, and helping them find justice in their time of need.
The event kicked off a month of other activities including: “Dine Out for Safety” on April 19, National Crime Victim Rights Week from April 23-29 and “Take Back the Night” on April 25. We hope you can join us, in our efforts, to stop the unacceptable number of sexual assaults cases that occur all together.
AND last but not least: DOGS! We can’t forget about the dogs. We wished PCAO courthouse dog Arrow a happy birthday and his pals were there to cheer him on. His job is to help comfort witnesses and children who testify in court. Here’s a link to the party on Facebook. Enjoy!
Be Well!
Shawndrea Thomas
