NMCP Hosts Denim Day One-Mile Walk

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kris Lindstrom | 180426-N-GN619-277 PORTMOUTH, Va. (April 26, 2018) – Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) staff members participate in NMCP’s Denim Day one-mile walk in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM). Staff members had the option to wear denim pants and walk a one-mile path for the occasion. The SAPR team spray painted shoes teal, set up signs with sexual assault statistics and set up 55 flags to symbolize every unrestricted SAPR case at NMCP since the beginning of fiscal year 2017 until Denim Day. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kris R. Lindstrom)  

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

04.26.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kris Lindstrom 

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) staff members hosted their inaugural Denim Day one-mile walk outside Bldg. 1 on April 26. The event was hosted by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program managers and was supported by the NMCP Victim Advocates (VA) and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) program.
“The purpose behind the Denim Day walk was to bring awareness to the command about what Denim Day is,” said Lt. Paula Harville, assistant SAPR program manager at NMCP. “It is observed nationally, and we can participate in that show of solidarity to any and all victims of sexual assault.”
Denim Day began in the 1990s after the case of a sexual assault involving jeans was in the national spotlight in Italy.
“People decided they wanted to support this; that there was an injustice for this person,” Harville said. “Starting in 1999, they came up with the Denim Day to be observed in California. Now a lot of the military commands also observe it, and it’s spreading more and more each year. This is NMCP’s first year participating in Denim Day.”
The message that Denim Day embodies is that everyone has their own freedom of expression and this should not dictate their vulnerability to sexual violence.
“Denim is certainly no measure of a defense against sexual assault,” said Michelle Ortiz, Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) program manager. “Today it symbolizes taking a stand saying, ‘what you’re wearing should not be a measure of somebody’s ability to sexually assault you.’ So we wear denim to symbolize women can wear whatever they want, and they should not be subjected to this type of violent behavior.”
NMCP’s SAPR program coordinated the one-mile walk, with teal shoes to represent awareness for the cause. Also, they set up little reminders along the path.
“So as they walked along the course and saw the 55 flags, it served as a reminder that this is still a big problem,” Harville said. “These are only the unrestricted cases that we are tracking here for our staff and others, such as our limited duty personnel.”
This event marks one of many events that occurred during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) at NMCP, and is a reminder that the fight against sexual assault is year round.
“Everyone should feel empowered and that’s what this is, it’s about recognizing empowerment,” Ortiz said. “Recognizing that this is not just a day in the month of a year, it’s every single day. The people who work on my team and the victim advocates are well aware that this is happening all the time. It knows no rank, it knows no age, and it knows no specific event. This can happen 24/7, 365 days a year, so we are here to bring awareness.”
Denim Day is held on a Wednesday in April nationwide to spread awareness throughout as a visible representation against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. NMCP decided to host the event the day after due to inclement weather. The SAPR team followed with a human ribbon on the steps of Bldg. 1 along with a moment of silence for all the sexual assault victims to close out SAAPM.

• Date Taken: 04.26.2018
• Date Posted: 05.01.2018 11:24
• Story ID: 275200
• Location: PORTSMOUTH, VA, US