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A Step Toward Awareness: Safe Walk Returns to Canterbury

Three female Canterbury students pose together on Hamilton track, smiling. They wear oversized sweatshirts, glow sticks around their necks, and light-up sunglasses on their heads.

On Friday, September 25, the Hamilton Stadium track was bustling with energy as more than 70 students gathered for a good cause. Safe Walk, an annual fundraiser hosted by Women of Canterbury, serves to shine a light on the issue of domestic violence while bringing the community together in support of survivors and prevention efforts. The enthusiastic crowd, charismatic emcees, and themed laps around the track made the evening meaningful and memorable.

“It's one of the core events we do, and it’s one a lot of people enjoy,” says Women of Canterbury co-president Allegra Linero ’27.  “It starts the year strong, and it's important to spread awareness of what domestic violence looks like and that it can happen to anyone.”

Women of Canterbury partnered with One Love Foundation, whose mission is to empower young people to understand love as safe and unconditional and to build skills to end relationship violence.

Allegra and co-president Marygrace Hussey ’27 have been preparing and organizing logistics since the summer. Leading up to the event, the club urged the entire Canterbury community to donate to the Center for Empowerment and Education (CEE), a Danbury-based nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of interpersonal violence through empowerment, education, and no-cost services. Those who did were granted a “dress down” day and wore purple, the designated color of domestic violence awareness. Women of Canterbury also gave a presentation about identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships during School Meeting.

On the evening of Safe Walk, Zachary Mwanza ’27, Joseph Pieksza ’27, Ryan Diaz ’27, and Charles Scott ’27 served as emcees to keep the evening lively despite the serious subject matter, and encouraged Saints throughout six laps around the track, each with its own activity or challenge.

Allegra says that moving forward, Women of Canterbury will continue to engage the community in this important subject and hopes to invite speakers to discuss domestic violence on campus. 

“Most people don't want to talk about subjects that can be so uncomfortable,” she says. “I think that's a big part of the mission of Women of Canterbury—bringing up those hard topics.”

Thank you to Women of Canterbury and everyone who made this year’s event a success.