Yards for Yeardly Fundraiser Raises Awareness of Domestic Violence

October 11, 2020

Through the month of October, white and red flags line LeChase Commons in an effort to raise awareness of domestic violence. An initiative of the College’s Peer Support Team, the red flags represent unhealthy relationships and the white display bystander intervention messages.

“Someone who is looking at these flags can think about the relationships in their lives. Seeing the red flags, they might see signs of an unhealthy relationship and be able to make a change. Others, who might be looking at a relationship from the outside and thinks that the relationship is harmful or toxic, can use the messages and phrases that are on the white flags,” said Molly Moyer ’23. “We believe that this will help others feel like they are not alone, and that we are here to help them. These flags will also help educate students on relationship red flags, and how to handle some of those situations.”

The Peer Support Team is also working with Megan Flaherty, Fisher’s Title IX director, to host a Yards for Yeardley fundraiser, which benefits the One Love Foundation. The organization was created in memory of Yeardly Love, who was murdered by her boyfriend in her college apartment in 1991. The Foundation educates young people, largely college students, about healthy and unhealthy relationships.

“We chose Yards for Yeardley because the story behind this foundation was pertinent to what we were wanting to represent,” said Moyer. “It is the perfect foundation for the Peer Support Team to represent, as we want to educate college students on healthy and unhealthy relationships.”

The Peer Support Team hopes to raise $4,000 for the foundation by sponsoring a virtual Rochester, NY to Rochester, MN Challenge for Yards for Yeardley 2020. Teams of four to eight students, faculty, or staff will agree to collectively walk, bike, run, or otherwise travel the 949 miles (1,670,240 yards) between the two largest Rochesters in the U.S.

Registration is $5 per person, going directly to One Love, and prizes will be given to the first team to reach 949 miles, most dollars raised, best social media presence, and other milestones. T-shirts will also available for the first 100 registrants (size selection may be limited). The Challenge runs now through Friday, Nov. 13.

The Peer Support Team is also hosting a bingo night at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. They will share information on healthy and unhealthy relationships and then play a Halloween-themed bingo game.

Join the Yards for Yeardly Fundraiser:

  1. Get an idea of who will make up your team of 4-8 people. Any Fisher community member is eligible to join a team.
  2. Identify a team “Captain” who will be the primary contact person for the team.
  3. The Team Captain goes to the SJFC Yards for Yeardley Rochester to Rochester Challenge website and clicks “Register a Team”
  4. Once the Captain has registered the Team, all other members head to the website above and click “Join A Team”
  5. Search for your Team name, and complete the registration.
  6. Set up your fundraising page!
    1. Connect your social media, customize your team’s fundraising page.
    2. Under the “Yards for Yeardley” tab connect your page to directly sync with Strava and edit your mileage goal to be 949 miles.
    3. Find the URL to your Team Fundraising Page under “My Team” and share to begin the competition!

Resources:

  • The Peer Support Team has created a video that walks through how to navigate your fundraising page – please take 5 minutes to watch the video.
  • Visit One Love’s guide to making your fundraising a success – How to raise $1,000!
  • Learn more about One Love and Yeardley Love
  • Connect and interact with partner social media accounts: @FisherHealth (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) and @join1love (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)
  •  Interested in getting more involved? Apply to be a Brand Ambassador for One Love