14th Annual Wreath of Hope Ceremony brings awareness and support to Oklahoma's state Capitol

YWCA hosting its 14th Annual Wreath of Hope Ceremony

The Wreath of Hope Ceremony will take place on the south lawn at the Oklahoma state Capitol Thursday, Oct. 20 beginning at 4 p.m.

“The Wreath of Hope Ceremony is an awareness event to bring the community together to stand with survivors of domestic violence and remember and honor those who have lost lives due to domestic violence,” YWCA leadership said.

“The Wreath is a symbol for all of the programs, people and systems who remember and mourn victims, and honor and support survivors.”

The first Wreath of Hope Ceremony started in 2006 and is open to the public.

At the first ceremony, YWCA OKC and Attorney General Drew Edmondson partnered to host a lighting ceremony; to light the Capitol dome purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, leadership said.

The name later changed to the Wreath of Hope to include all other domestic violence providers across the state.

“YWCA Oklahoma City is, at our core, emergency crisis-intervention services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking,” leadership said.

“We are the triage unit for survivors. YWCA OKC works to lay the foundation for survivors to rebuild lives free from shame, blame and future violence.”

YWCA’s mission is dedicated to "eliminating racism and empowering women" and to provide a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment to all its staff and the communities they serve.

“We encourage businesses to light their buildings purple for the month of October to honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” leadership added. For more information, people can contact Tristan Mautz at [email protected] .