ARS TO TAKE PART IN LA MARATHON AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
asbarez
Thursday, February 16th, 2012
LA Marathon 2012
GLENDALE-For the first time, the Armenian Relief Society of Western
USA (ARS) will be participating as an official charity of the Honda LA
Marathon this year, joining 70 other charities in a campaign entitled
“I Run 4 Something” to take place on Sunday, March 18.
The marathon covers a 26.2 mile distance starting at the Los Angeles
Dodger Stadium and ending in Santa Monica. The ARS team, “Heartline
Against Domestic Violence,” will take part in the charity 2-person
marathon, where each participant will cover half the distance of 13.1
miles, similar to a relay.
With its participation as an official charity of the marathon, the
ARS team hopes to increase awareness of domestic violence and to
support the organization’s efforts to aid victims of such abuse.
“Participating as an official charity of the marathon allows us to
utilize this major platform to help raise funds for those in our
communities who have sought our help, as a result of the abuses they
have suffered,” says Carmen Libaridian, Vice-Chairperson of the ARS
Regional Executive Board.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that domestic
violence can be defined as “attempting to cause or causing bodily
injury to a family or household member or placing a family or household
member by threat of force in fear of imminent physical harm.” A
clinical or behavioral definition of domestic violence is “a pattern
of assaultive and/or coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual,
and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or
adolescents use against their intimate partners.” In many communities,
including immigrant populations, domestic violence often has a slightly
broader context of abuse, such as in-laws abusing a daughter-in-law.
In recent years, the ARS has sought to serve victims of domestic
violence more effectively through social services and counseling
centers and other community resources, but funding gaps have hindered
efforts for comprehensive assistance. By reaching out to the community
and collaborating with other charities, the ARS hopes to prevent
abusive behavior by launching awareness campaigns as well as help
restore the lives of victims of domestic violence.
Those interested in making a donation in support of the team can
visit the ARS-WUSA’s Crowdrise page at
or contact the ARS Regional Headquarters at (818) 500-1343 or
[email protected].
The ARS of Western USA, established in 1984 and with regional
headquarters in Glendale, California, is a humanitarian organization
with 27 chapters and over 1,500 members in 5 western states. The
ARS of Western USA operates a Social Service Division with 5 social
service centers and a Child, Youth, and Family Guidance Center in
Southern California, in addition to funding numerous youth programs,
scholarships, and relief efforts around the word. For further
information, please visit
www.crowdrise.com/ARS-WUSA
www.arswestusa.org.