Campus groups raise D.C. march funds
Published Feb. 17, 2004
Junior Angie Vo wants to voice her opinion on women's reproductive health.
Vo, who is directing the upcoming Pro-Choice/Pro-Fashion show, is working with various student groups, including the Feminist Student Union, the Women's History Month Planning Committee and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom to raise money for a trip to participate in the March for Women's Lives in Washington on April 25.
"The purpose of Pro-Choice/Pro-Fashion is to showcase some of the local designer talent while simultaneously advocating women's rights," show spokesman Patrick Clos said. "It should be a really fun community event, and at the same time it will raise political and pro-choice consciousness."
The fashion show will be held on March 13 in the Mark Twain Ballroom at Memorial Union. It will feature models dressed in designs by 11 local designers, handmade merchandise available for purchase and a performance by a local band, The Pows. Admission is $5.
Vo said she proposed the idea for a fashion show after seeing a fashion show at Ragtag Cinemacafé.
"The fashion show will be a chance for people to experience local artists' talent, to register to vote in the upcoming election, to support the future of women's health and to have fun," Vo said.
Other upcoming fund-raisers include a donation night Feb. 24 at Sparky's Ice Cream Shoppe, 21 S. Ninth St., where $1 will be donated to the fund for every purchase made, and a bake sale sponsored by the Feminist Student Union on March 2.
There are multiple student organizations and Columbia residents planning to attend the march in Washington, Clos said.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the rally, said Alice Cohan, director of March for Women's Lives.
"We expect that about one-third of marchers will be young people and students," she said.
The march was last held in 1992, she said.
According to the March for Women's Lives Web site, seven women's rights groups are co-sponsoring the rally, including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Organization for Women and the Feminist Majority Foundation.
The march is being held to demonstrate the support for women's rights to choose legal abortions and birth control, according to the site.
There will be a meeting for those interested in attending the march or helping with fund-raisers tonight at 6 at Main Squeeze, 28 S. Ninth St.
"I think it's important to support local artists and fun community events," Clos said. "But this is also a chance for women's rights advocates to come out and support a very important political issue as well."