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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday November 26, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Rhapsody in Yellow goes beyond crisis Escape to a World of Comfort Like hunger and poverty, violence against women can be found all over the world -- and in Oakville. That's why the Zonta Club of Oakville is calling on local firefighters, television personality Debbie Travis and local businesses to battle what it calls the war on women. Rhapsody in Yellow, a dinner fundraising gala set for Friday, Nov. 28, will be the grounds from which it will fight back, raising cash to send victims of domestic abuse to Sheridan College -- for a post-secondary education to land them a good job and a means to break the cycle of domestic abuse. While the gala will feature all kinds of fun from fashion shows to dinner, it's all about helping women who have fled their home in fear of their lives and those of their children. "Can you imagine having to flee your home in fear of your life and the lives of your children?" asks Zonta Club of Oakville member Annette MacDonald. The service club is concerned women trying to escape domestic violence may have no current, marketable skills to get a job and support their family -- hindering their escape. "Yes, there is short-term crisis help in our community, but what is lacking is a means to break the cycle. Without marketable skills, women victims of domestic abuse often return to their abusive environments because they fear they cannot support themselves and their children," said MacDonald. "We are told by Halton Women's Place, most women victims of domestic violence have sought shelter services several times, returning to their abusive environments because they fear they can't "make it" on their own," said MacDonald. There also exists a misconception that victims of domestic abuse who become single mothers are getting help from the government. "The Zonta Club of Oakville would like to dispel the myth that these women are well looked after and there is no need for private fundraising," said MacDonald. The Zonta Club believes in women obtaining a post-secondary education to move beyond the economic dependency trap. There is no public funding to support post-secondary study programs outside of OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) loans, however, debt is usually not an option for victims. "Violence against women is an epidemic around the world and our own communities in Canada are not immune to this epidemic. Stephen Lewis writes in the foreword to Brian Vallée's book entitled War on Women, `that domestic violence is its own holocaust....we're not just fighting for women's human rights; we're fighting for women's lives,'" said MacDonald. According to that book, from 2000 to 2006, the total number of front-line military and law enforcement deaths in the U.S. was 4,588. Canadian military and law enforcement deaths for that seven-year period was 101. In the same seven years, more than 8,000 U.S. women -- nearly twice as many -- were killed by intimate males in their lives. In Canada, more than 500 women -- nearly five times as many -- met the same fate. In Canada, the federal government estimates the annual cost of violence "Violence against women is an epidemic around the world and our own communities in Canada are not immune to this epidemic." Annette MacDonald, Zonta Club of Oakville "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m b e r s . c a 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905-337-2066 New ! Location Decorating a bedroom can be expensive BUT not at Halton Linen Halton Linen where your decorating dollar goes further HALTON LINEN OUTLET WareWARE ho HO Open use USE OPE E Every VERN Day! DAY! Y New ! 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The proceeds from this year's Rhapsody in Yellow event have been designated to fund bursaries for fulltime study programs at Sheridan College. "Women who have suffered from hardship or abuse deserve the chance to receive a post-secondary education within their community", said Dr. Robert Turner, president and CEO of the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Travis, an international décor icon will appear at the gala, which will feature Oakville firefighters wearing fashions by Jonathan Quinn Menswear and local models from Inside Story Fine Lingerie. The gala will be at the Burlington Convention Centre, 1120 Burloak Dr. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., dinner is at 7:15 p.m. Tickets cost $150 per person or VIP $200 per person includes champagne reception with Travis at 5:30 p.m. and preferred seating. The evening will also include entertainment by Sheridan College Theatre Arts students and special guests, silent and live auctions, dancing and more. Tickets are available through the Sheridan College box office 905-8154049 or fax 905-815-4082 "This year, we wish to go beyond the "crisis" help we provided last year," said Zonta Chair Cherie Duvall. Zonta Oakville has been working in Halton for 35 years. The club is getting lots of community support for this event -- including that from TDWaterhouse corporate office in Toronto, Rosewater Spa, Remax About Town, Decluttering.ca, Bulldog Entertainment, Carole Bertuzzi Luciani and more. For more information, visit www.zontaoakville.com. APPLEBY LINE PROBLEM DENTURES... FULL SERVICE DENTURE CLINIC PROMPT QUALITY CARE SAME DAY RELINES & REPAIRS EVENING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE NEW PATIENTS WELCOME! Up to Canada's leader in adjustable sleep systems NEW ST. FOOT PAIN? Roger D. Newell, D. Pod. M., & Associates · over 30 years in practice · former teacher, Toronto General Hospital · former consultant, Ontario Ministry of Health Recognize These Problems? 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