MELROSE — Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the many community members who attended the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil and Walk to end Domestic Violence on Sunday, October 5. We began the event by honoring the 11 victims who lost their lives to Domestic Violence in Massachusetts this year. Following the Vigil, attendees walked the two mile route through Melrose while church bells rang out in unison and unity.
MAAV was honored to be joined by State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian who stood up for a victim and read their name. Accompanying her as readers were Chief Kevin Faller of Melrose PD and Chief John White of Melrose FD, Melrose School Superintendent Cari Berman and Anthony Chui of Melrose Health Department, Magen Price of Mystic Valley Sexual Wellness and Bill Wyman of Tufts Medicine. MAAV Board Member Taylor Tinmouth and MAAV Student Action Board Members Zoe Blumenthal, Naomi Breay and Mae Donohue.
A very special moment of the Vigil came when previous MAAV Executive Director Rebecca Mooney gave a moving tribute to her dear friend and former MAAV Board President Joan Bell. Following Rebecca, former Student Action Board member and current MAAV board member Madelyn Strike announced, on behalf of the MAAV board, the creation of the Joan Bell Memorial Scholarship. Strike noted, “Joan often reminded us that what we do and what we say truly matters. She dedicated herself to teaching her children and our community the meaning of healthy relationships and the importance of knowing where to turn for support.” The scholarship will be awarded each year in perpetuity to a graduating Student Action Board member who reflects Joan’s compassion, positivity and commitment to others.
Music for the Vigil was generously provided by Melrose High School senior Ell Gimenez accompanied by her mom Jana Gimenez on the piano. Their rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was powerful and poignant. Then the audience was treated to a viewing of MAAV’s 30th anniversary video which was produced earlier this year by the class of 2025 Melrose High School video production interns, under the guidance of Anthony DiBenedetto. The Vigil concluded with a short reflection before sending attendees out to walk and enjoy the unseasonably warm October afternoon.
The success of this event would not be possible without the partnership of many individuals and businesses who contribute their time and talent to this event. Thank you to Raj Das of ED Photography and MMTV for capturing the event on film; Follow Your Art Community Studios for their collaboration on the community art project including the creation of a beautiful macrame wall hanging; Hannaford & Dumas for printing the Vigil programs; Julie Mallon for offering amazing face painting; and INspire Cafe for serving up slush and baked treats from Buckalew’s (generously sponsored by Buckalew’s General Store). Thank you also to LaQchara and Frosty Ice Cream for providing their food trucks so hungry walkers could grab dinner or a treat before heading home.
Finally, MAAV would like to especially recognize the close to 100 businesses and individuals who kindly sponsored this event, the 17 Walk teams who raised funds through the power of crowdfunding as well as the countless others who donated to the walk. The complete lists of our sponsors and teams are found on our website at maav.org and we urge you to support them often and thank them for their commitment to keeping our community safe from violence.
MAAV’s mission is to raise community awareness of domestic and teen dating violence and to promote programs that work to reduce violence and encourage healthy relationships. These programs include community awareness activities, youth education and prevention programs promoting healthy relationships and advocacy services for survivors and their loved ones. For more information, visit maav.org or call (781) 662-2010.