Join us for painting awareness messages on jeans, hear from New Horizons and meet some new critter friends (Tator Tot the Posseum and Flower the Skunk).

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual violence is a public health and safety issue that affects both women and men alike. It is difficult to discuss, and it often goes unmentioned, leaving many to suffer in silence. This year, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the Denim Day campaign. Denim Day began more than twenty-one years ago, after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, implying consent. The following day, women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Developed by Peace over Violence, the Denim Day campaign is observed worldwide by millions of people. As the longest-running sexual violent prevention and education campaign, Denim Day asks people to wear jeans as a visible way to highlight misconceptions surrounding sexual violence.