Domestic violence is one of the nastiest issues facing America today. It permeates through all of our culture, it needs to be addressed and handled properly. As we begin national domestic violence awareness month, it is important to give a hand to those that are in need.
The New York City Council wants to help out as much as possible this month and according to speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, she has some backup in helping spread the word.
The campaign features multiple New York sports personalities, including Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Mets pitcher Jeurys Familia, Knicks legend John Starks, Liberty center Kiah Stokes, Rangers Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert, and Cosmos players Lucky Mkosana and Giovanni Savarese.
Mark-Viverito came up with the campaign after the Yankees traded for Aroldis Chapman and wanted to let people know that supporting your team doesn’t have to be mean exclusively supporting someone like him.
“I don’t want to be complicit by being silent, and that’s why I feel it’s important to speak out about it,” Mark-Viverito said. “You’ve got these sports figures that have incredible reach and notoriety and influence and they should be held to a high standard. They shouldn’t get a pass because of who they are and the standing they have, and how we handle this sets a tone for how we handle this on a daily basis.”
The initiative includes $14 million in funding from the city, and it all begins with a PSA that will be aired at Citi Field before the Mets Wild Card playoff game against the Giants on Wednesday night.
It doesn’t take a lot to make a difference, and this is a step in the right direction.
[ESPNW]
