As I approach the final stretch in my NEW Dancing With Our Stars campaign to raise funds and awareness for Golden House, I need to pause a moment to thank every person reading this who has already supported this effort. From words of encouragement, to monetary or in-kind donations, to lending necessities or a helping hand, to joining in on the community-wide Bower Creek Booyah Battle – every ounce of support has mattered. And every word helps further spread the mission of Golden House.

Last month, the big fundraiser for this campaign, the Bower Creek Booyah Battle, took place in Bellevue. It was a huge success. Over 200 people came out for the cause. They learned about Golden House, voted for their favorite booyah (congratulations to Stroll Ledgeview neighbor Nick Franda and his winning booyah), participated in raffles, listened to the fantastic music of another Stroll neighbor, Adam Lee, and supported this event more than I could have imagined. With everyone’s support, we were able to raise over $9,000 for Golden House, and the momentum from attendees after the event has propelled us even further.

But we’re not done. October is domestic violence awareness month. It’s a time to acknowledge domestic violence survivors and be a voice for its victims. It’s also a time to unite advocates across the country in their efforts to end domestic violence. And October is just around the corner. The Dancing With Our Stars event will be happening on October 5th. As I continue to learn to dance and spread awareness for Golden House, I still need to raise funds to reach my goal of $75,000. And Golden House’s annual fundraising event, Show of Strength, will be held on October 17th. These are two great events that will help Golden House continue to provide safety and support services for those who’ve been affected by domestic violence

I encourage you to please support one or both of these efforts if you are able. Help us shelter the mother and her child who are escaping an unsafe situation. Help us feed the family of six who moved into shelter two weeks ago and are trying to get back on their feet. Help us find housing, stable employment, and provide counseling for the woman who wasn’t allowed to work or leave her home at the hands of her abuser. Your donations and support of events like Dancing With Our Stars and Show of Strength help fund these efforts and keep Golden House running… and its residents safe.

If monetary donations are not an option for you at this time, there are many other ways to support the mission. Golden House is always looking for volunteers. They also post a Wishlist on their Facebook page every Wednesday with items they need for their residents. You can share their posts and tell others about the resources they provide to help spread the word about the critical work they do in our community. You can invite Golden House into your organization to talk about the resources they have available and educate staff on how to recognize or remove themselves from an unsafe situation. In whichever manner you choose, supporting Golden House will help them in their mission to provide safety and support for victims of domestic abuse while leading efforts to end domestic violence in Brown County.

Thank you for all the support you’ve given thus far. To donate to my Dancing With Our Stars campaign (100% of proceeds go directly to Golden House), please scan the QR code or visit https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/NEWDWOS/team/KristinLaursen.