Twelfth Annual Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk

For the 12th year in a row, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 close to 100 women dressed in wedding gowns accompanied by approximately 400 other women dressed in all white, men in all black, youths, children, and seniors, walked for approximately seven miles to memorialize Gladys Ricart and the countless other victims who have lost their lives in domestic violence related incidents.Latest Brides March Pics! The NY Latinas Against Domestic Violence, the families of Gladys Ricart, Jessica Ybe and her two little girls Jelyhanna and Sash, and Fanny Silverio, and the 2012 Organizing Committee, extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to all those who walked to raise awareness of the horrors of this crime. Words cannot describe the appreciation felt by the families of the victims for the amazing support and commitment people have shown throughout the years to the Brides’ March.

Thank you to the 2012 speakers for your compassionate and inspiring words:

At the Opening/Invocation Ceremony at the Fort Washington Presbyterian Church in Washington Heights: Fort Washington Presbyterian Church Delmi Miranda, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Senator Adriano Espaillat, Assemblywoman Gabriela Rosa, Councilmember Robert Jackson, Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, Executive Director National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence Adelita Medina, Executive Director Dominican Women’s Development Center Rosita Romero, Brides’ March Originator Josie Ashton, Deputy Director Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Maria Lizardo, Co-Founder of the Brides’ March and Cofounder of the Dominican Women’s Development Center, and founding Director of Nuevo Amanecer Doña Mireya Cruz, and to the new Director of Nuevo Amanecer Karina Aybar-Jacobs.

At the steps of the Bronx County Supreme Court: NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence Commissioner Yolanda Jimenez, Office of the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Director of Health and Human Services Melissa Cebollero, Voices of Women Organizing Project Senior Campaign Organizer Tanya McLoad, and domestic violence victim Jessica Ybe’s mother Ana Ybe.

At the Closing/Benediction Ceremony at parish hall at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in East Harlem: Deacon Jose M. Hernandez, Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, Brides’ March Originator Josie Ashton, 1199SEIU Executive Vice President Estela Vasquez, Violence Intervention Program Executive Director Cecilia Gaston, survivor Margarita Martinez, special guest from New Mexico survivor Dawn Maestas, St. Cecilia Parrish member Evelyn Vazquez, and Brides’ March Cofounder and Coordinator Grace Pérez.

Thank you VERY much to the Sponsors of the 12th Annual Brides’ March:

Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito for the grant that provided the lunch and dinner; 1199 SEIU for providing the Organizing Committee space to meet and for typesetting and printing the 2012 flyer; to the Voices of Women Organizing Project and the Forestdale Fathering Initiative for donating the 1000 plus bottles of water; and to the 2012 V-Day Team at Hunter College and the Harlem Renaissance Walks Team of Harlem Hospital for cash contributions that covered the miscellaneous expenses.

We also want to acknowledge and express our appreciation for the AWESOME donation of 29 gowns by Lucille's Bridal Shop/ Val's Formalwear, Orange, CT, and the several others who in solidarity, empowerment and/or commemoration of their personal survival donated their own wedding dresses. Because of such generosity, this year we were able to have approximately 75 women marching in donated wedding dresses—the symbolism of the Brides’ March.

A SPECIAL thank YOU to the support and contributions of:

Jose A Gonzalez Jr, Pace University Graduate Student for updating the BridesMarch.com website; Dorothy Henry-Santana for managing the Brides’ March Facebook page; residents of Casa Sandra for washing the wedding gowns; Nancy Corronel, Eva Pazmino, Lourdes Carante and Diana Rivera Lopez who woke up very early, dressed in wedding gowns and went to the Good Morning America Show to promote the March; staff, inters and volunteers of Nuevo Amanecer for setting up the dresses, helping women with dresses and for preparing breakfast the morning of the march; VIP Bronx Compañera for preparing and serving the marchers lunch; VIP East Harlem staff and volunteers for setting up the space for the Closing and serving the marchers dinner; Mercy Center for the cups of cool water that you handed out to marchers on Third Ave in the Bronx; Christopher Lambert and his team of investigators from the Orders Of Protection Services for transporting the H2O and keeping us hydrated all throughout the walk; and a very special thank you to the Trustees and Congregations of the Fort Washington Heights Presbyterian Church and the Saint Cecilia Roman Catholic Church for, once again, allowing the Brides’ March the use of your marvelous space to hold the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

We also want to recognize and thank the programs, organizations and institutions that came out and joined in the March:

1199SEIU members, All Purpose Room, Fathering Initiative, Forestdale, HELP ROADS, HELP USA, Mercy Center, Ministerio Levantate Mujer, Mujeres Por La Paz, Mount Sinai SAVI Program, New York Asian Women’s Center, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp, Nuevo Amanecer, Dominican Women's Development Center, The Relationship Abuse Prevention Program(RAAP), Sanctuary for Families, Sarah Burke House, Steinway Child and Family Services, STEPS to End Family Violence
Urban Women’s New Beginning, Violence Intervention Program, Violence Intervention Treatment Program at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Voices of Women Organizing Project, New York Order of Protection Services, The Bronx Career & College Preparatory High School, Columbia School of Journalism, Women and Gender Studies Program at Hunter College, Team Fordham from Fordham University, Association of Latino Students at Medgar Evers College, Office of Multicultural Affairs at Pace University, Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Talent Partners, Five Sixteen Apparel, and Miss America Organization, Jessica Johnson, Miss Liberty City 2012.

Last but NOT in-the-least, thank you to the 2012 Organizing Committee for the great collaboration in promoting the March and pulling together all the logistics, making it seem effortlessly:

Lethy and Marie-Ann Liriano Gladys Ricart’s Nieces; Tanya McLeod, Senior Campaign Organizer/Member Voices of Women Organizing Project, Battered Women’s Resource Center; Melissa Cebollero, Director of Health and Human Services Office of the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; Melinda Velez, Chief of Staff Office of Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito; Karina Aybar-Jacobs, Director and Bernadette Garcia, Counselor Nuevo Amanecer, Dominican Women's Development Center; Alejandro Duhalde, Special Projects Coordinator Member Assistance Program, Carmen D. Laracuente Velez, Wellness Outreach Coordinator Wellness Department, and Estela Vasquez, Executive Vice President Health System 6 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Fund; Freddy Soto and Antonio M. Young Fathering Specialists Fathering Initiative, Forestdale, Inc.; Valerie Wright, Coordinator Harlem Renaissance Walks Team Harlem Hospital Center/Renaissance Healthcare Network; Carmelina Cartei, Faculty Women and Gender Studies Program, Hunter College; Eugenia James, Social Worker HELP R.O.A.D.S, HELP USA; Emily Quinn, Advocate, Mount Sinai SAVI Program; Maria Lizardo, Assistant Executive Director for Programs, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp.; Dr. Denise Belen Santiago, Director Office of Multicultural Affairs, Pace University; Violeta Garcia and Carol Grannum, DV Counselors/Advocates, STEPS to End Family Violence; Cecila Gaston, Executive Director, Martha Hauze, Deputy Director, and Valerie A. Leon, Community Education and Outreach Coordinator, Violence Intervention Program, Inc.; Joselle Sola, Counselor, Violence Intervention Treatment Program, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center; and Grace Pérez, Cofounder and Coordinator of the Brides’ March.