SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Zonta Club of Spearfish’s Festival of Trees is marking its 32nd year, bringing a festive celebration and a meaningful fundraiser to the community. This free event, running from now until Saturday, serves as both a celebration of the holiday season and a fundraising effort to support local non-profits or organizations dedicated to helping women and children.
Donations help with the following Zonta projects: -Providing clothing and supplies to needy families -Grants to local non-profits -Scholarships to high school and college students -“Zonta Says NO” – end domestic violence campaign -And more
The Zonta Club’s mission is to serve the Spearfish community by recognizing and supporting the needs of women and children. The Festival of Trees is a way to raise money to continue that work. This festival features beautifully decorated trees donated by sponsors, businesses, and individuals throughout the city. The trees will be available for auction on Friday night, with a $30 admission fee for those participating in the bidding.
Katie Peterson, member of the Zonta Club, shared details about the event, saying, “We then do our auction night Friday, and then our trees are delivered on Saturday to all the residences or places of business that end up winning the trees.” Beyond the tree auction, the festival offers a range of activities for attendees to enjoy and alongside the tree auction, a silent auction will feature baskets filled with goodies from local groups. Notably, an electric foldable bike will be part of the auction items. Schedule for Festival of Trees: Wednesday, November 29: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Opening Day (Open to the Public)
Thursday, November 30: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Open to the Public 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Senior Tea 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Special Musical Performance
Friday, December 1: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Open to the Public 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Social before Auction ($30 Admission) 7 p.m. – Auction
Saturday, December 2: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Open to the Public 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Saturday with Santa (Free Admission) 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Story Time (Free book for each child – while supplies last) Check out the trees and wreaths for the festival below, and figure out which one you would bid for! Tree and Wreath for Auction at the Zonta Club’s Festival of Trees “A Bootiful Christmas” by Real Estate Center Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Peace on Earth” by the Christians Team Updated Nov 29, 2023
“It is Frosty Out There” by Black Hills Psychology Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Vintage Christmas” by Pioneer Bank and Trust Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Winter in the Black Hills” by Amann Dental Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Nightmare Before Christmas” by Nelson Chiropractic Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Let it Snow!” by Chris Gengler and Lora Winton Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Fishing Fun” by Nancy Pummel Cole Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Starry Night” by TD Landscaping Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Candy Cane Lane” by Monument Health Updated Nov 29, 2023
“A Peaceful Holiday Season” by Mediation Matters Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Children’s Package” by Black Hills Federal Credit Union Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Merry & Bright” by Belle Vice Creations Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Vintage Farm House Christmas” by Our Saviors Lutheran Church Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Barbie World” by Quik Signs Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Hot Cocoa Bar” by Monument Health Surgery Center Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Chocolate Delights” by Jackson Dental Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Walking in a Woodland Wonderland” by Visit Spearfish / Mistie Caldwell Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Sweet Retro” by SoDak Title Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Seasons Greetings” by Moxie Marketing Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Ain’t Christmas Sweet” by SoDak Title Updated Nov 29, 2023
“What he Sees” by Kathy Caudill Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Candyland Christmas Wreath” by Security First Bank Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Silver Bells” by Bent Willow Designs Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Silent Night” by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Red & Rustic” by Northern Hills SOS Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Holly Jolly” by NH CASA Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Candyland Canyon Christmas” by Spearfish Canyon Resorts Updated Nov 29, 2023
“BAH HUMBUG!” by Black Hills Pioneer Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Truck Decor” by American Legion Aux Spearfish Unit Updated Nov 29, 2023
“It’s a Wine O Christmas” by White’s Canyon Ford Updated Nov 29, 2023
“Candy Curls & Christmas Swirls” by Sundance State Bank Updated Nov 29, 2023
Cash Sponsors from Last Year Updated Nov 29, 2023
Grant Sponsors from Last Year Updated Nov 29, 2023
Noosa says no to domestic and family violence was a message sent by the Zonta Club of Noosa. “Violence against women is not inevitable, it is preventable,“ Zonta Club of Noosa president Robyn O’Neill told a group of supporters who marched along Gympie Terrace last Sunday to say no to violence against women and girls.
“To end violence against women we need to challenge attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence and deny women’s rights to safety,“ Robyn said.
“Violence is the language of the inarticulate. It’s so true. We’ve seen it in our own lives when people get so angry they can’t speak – that’s when they resort to physical violence. Too many people don’t understand how to express themselves without dominance, power and control.
“Respect starts with a conversation, so let’s start talking. We need to start real conversations about why ordinary people commit horrific acts of violence against the people closest to them.“
The club’s annual walk is part of Zonta International’s 16 Days of Activism campaign (from 25 November to World Human Rights Day on 10 December) against gender-based violence, aimed at raising awareness of the risks, impact and dangers of gender-based violence.
So far this year, 58 women in Australia have been killed in domestic and family violence situations.
Robyn described the campaign as a call for action, a critical part in a global movement “against one of world’s most persistent violations against human rights and that is violence against women“.
“Calls for action are crucial. They shine a spotlight on the issue of violence against women,“ she said.
“They are a moment to create public awareness of what needs to change to prevent it from happening in the first place at all at local, national and international level. Because as we know violence against women and girls is something that effects every country in world.
“To end violence against women we need to challenge attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence and deny women’s rights to safety.
“Shifting behaviours is hard and slow but gender equality means all of us and working with all genders is the only way to see true change. We need the men to stand beside the women all the way.
“While men can be victims as well, they are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of gender based violence.“
After a week chairing public hearings held by the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee, Noosa MP Sandy Bolton told the group what she had heard taught her much more than a discussion was needed.
“What we’ve seen in households across Queensland – it starts right there,“ Sandy said.
“It’s all interconnected. The children who are coming out of those households – it is deeply disturbing that we haven’t broken the cycle and we have so much more to do.
“What we have found is there’s a lack of communication to the assistance available and also the early interventions that happen right in our schools.
“Just about every witness I’ve heard this week has said it takes a community, it takes a society. It’s not just up to government or one person, it takes all of us.
“I ask you to spread the word that there is help and within the homes to reach out. If you don’t know who to reach out to call council, call myself, call somebody and we will connect you and follow Zonta on Facebook.“
The members of Zonta Club Metro Iloilo headed by its president, Mrs. Grace Blair.
TO kick off the “16 Days of Activism” campaign against violence against women and children (VAWC), the Zonta Club Metro Iloilo held a motorcade around Iloilo City on Nov. 25, in sync with the observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day. Zonta Club Metro Iloilo kicks off the “16 Days of Activism” campaign with a motorcade on the main thoroughfares of Iloilo City on Nov. 25.
Being a group of empowered women in Iloilo empowering fellow women, Zonta Club Metro Iloilo, a member of Zonta International, has carried out programs and projects to help the sector.
The group holds symposiums on teenage pregnancy and online sexual violence in various schools in the city and province of Iloilo, as well as self-defense crash courses at selected high schools.
“One of Zonta’s advocacies, as well as that of pediatricians in Western Visayas, is to stop child abuse. And one form of child abuse we are currently focusing on, which is rampant, is the online sexual exploitation of children,” said Dr. Ma. Theresa M. Hallegado, Pediatrician and Committee Head on Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.
Hallegado recognized the importance of the internet in education and keeping connections, but she emphasized that it is also a venue for people with ill intentions.
“The primary reminder we give children is to be SMART: Stay safe while browsing the internet; do not meet up with people you do not know; avoid accepting suspicious files you receive; is your source reliable?; and tell somebody if someone on the internet is acting suspicious,” she added.
On 25 November, the Zonta Club of Burg Staufenberg/Giessen Area, Germany, invited the public to participate in the Woyzeck performance. There, the audience listened to a lively discussion between three experts: an actress, a gynecologist, and a director of a women’s shelter about how we can eliminate violence against women.
The event was by newly joined Zontian Anja Horstmann. Giessen`s newspapers reported previously.
To say NO to Violence Against Women, the Zonta Club of Béziers Domitia, France, chose to promote tools to help victims seek help out of their situation. A video was created, charged free of charge, by youths from the Montepellier Journalism School and a young professional photographer and videographer.
The video is available to the Zonta community for dissemination.
Source: The Bradford Era
Zonta Club of Bradford was presented with a proclamation from Mayor Tom Riel at Tuesday’s Bradford City Council meeting.
Receiving the proclamation were (from left) club members Holly Puglio, president, and Ginny Crouse. Nov. 25 begins Zonta’s 16 Days of Advocacy shedding a light on violence against women.
From Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 orange lights at area merchants, local residences and public buildings show support of the We Say No to Violence Against Women campaign.
Visit the Zonta Club’s Facebook page for more information about how to get involved.
The Zonta Club of Darmstadt, Germany, joined Viva Vittoria, a project in Italy to end violence against women by knitting blankets to raise funds to end violence against women.
Viva Vittoria is a relational shared work and spreads the message that once a woman understands her value, she automatically becomes the creator of her existence and can bring about change in herself and society. Knitting serves as a metaphor for self-creation and self-development. It is also a tool to help realize this project. It proved a perfect medium because it consists of a widespread and quickly learned creative mode. In adults, it connects to familiar images, brings out memories, and creates an attitude of encounter and relationship.
Anja Kernchen, who lives partly in Italy and Darmstadt, brought the project to the club. The club collected and knitted hundreds of blankets together in the past 1.5 years. Through an article, many across Europe and Australia sent in blankets for the project.
In the end, more than 2,000 blankets were sewn from the squares by many hands, with at least seven people working on each blanket to create an impressive statement against violence.
On 4 and 5 March, the club covered the 1,000 meters squared Friedensplatzwith the blankets, which could be purchased for a donation of at least 20 €.
The club sold all blankets and raised more than 50,000 euros. All proceeds were donated to Wildwasser Darmstadt e.V., a professional counseling center for girls and women affected by sexualized violence, and the help fund of the Frauenhaus Darmstadt.
As a part of its “NO to cyber violence against women and children” initiative, the Zonta Club of Sofia, Bulgaria, held a training session about cyber violence with experts from the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime. Held at the National School of Dance Art, more than 250 students from grades 7 to 11 attended the session.
Inspired by the presentation, some students volunteered for the club’s project to raise further awareness of cyber violence prevention by becoming peer educators.
The club is grateful to the school for the opportunity to enlighten its students about cyber violence for to its partner for their constant support.
During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, the Zonta Club of Toowoomba Garden City Inc, Australia, made headlines and grabbed attention on social media in their local area due to their numerous actions saying no to violence against women.
Bringing orange The club lit a local bridge orange throughout the 16 Days. On 25 November, club members marched back from that bridge to the downtown area. They also hung a ‘Zonta Says NO’ banner across one of the main streets and displayed Orange Ladies in businesses across town.
Engaging the youth Club President Charmain Searle visited the Toowoomba State High School to inform the students about gender-based violence and Zonta’s mission.
Market stall In collaboration with the Zonta Club of Toowoomba Area Inc and the Zonta e-Club of Queensland Inc, the club held a Zonta Awareness market stall to spread Zonta information and merchandise. Zontians Ansmarie Van Erp, Vanessa Priebe and Marie Cameron were also involved.
Campaign letter Tarsh Francis, Advocacy Chair of the club, proposed conducting a letter-writing campaign to house local women experiencing domestic violence, which was touted in the local shopping centers. The letter garnered many signed letters and increased awareness in their community about Zonta and its mission.
Human Rights Day ceremony On 9 December, the club participated with local authorities to hold a Human Rights Day flag-raising ceremony in the village square.
The Zonta Club of Herzogenaurach, Germany, was interviewed by Herzo TV, a local international television station, regarding the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
Zonta Club Metro Iloilo kicks off the “16 Days of Activism” campaign with a motorcade on the main thoroughfares of Iloilo City on Nov. 25.
Join us in saying NO 
