The Domestic Violence Intervention Program and the Rape Victim Advocacy Program hosted their second annual Galentine’s Day event on Feb. 8. This year’s programming was a pajama party hosted at Fireside Winery and featured karaoke, trivia, and drinks for attendees.

DVIP organized the event to raise money for victims and survivors in the community. All proceeds from the event went to supporting victim-survivor services in Iowa County, helping the organization continue its mission of advocacy and providing support services for survivors of partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and harassment. DVIP serves eight counties across Iowa and are open all hours of the day, year-round.

Rachel Peterson, the DVIP community engagement coordinator, shared why they will continue doing events like these.

“Since we serve eight counties, part of this is to make sure we are present in these eight counties, so people know these services exist for them outside of just Johnson County,” she said.

A lot of people don’t even know DVIP exists. Peterson explained this event specifically helps spread the word about the services the organization offers.

“We did have quite a big uptake in referrals after last year, so I think that was a matter of people realizing that these services are available to them,” she said.

The event saw a turnout of around 30 people with attendees coming from Iowa City and neighboring towns. Assistant Director of UI Counseling Services Heidi Schmitt attended the event last year and came back for year two with friends.

“I really like the vibe [of the event], and I want to support DVIP and RVAP,” Schmitt said. “I think that there are not enough resources in the community, so we want to support as many resources as we can. Showing support as women together is super important.”

The pajama party ran from 7 to 10 p.m. Attendees were checked in on arrival and offered samples of wine to start the evening. Everyone gathered in a guest space in the winery, where tables were set up. DVIP kicked off the event by thanking everyone and explaining their mission.

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Next was women’s trivia and some surprise questions about DVIP’s program. A raffle was going on throughout the night, selling tickets for a dollar a piece. The event organizers ended up raising a total of $94, and one attendee walked away with that much money in cash. The night ended with karaoke, games, and lots of smiling faces.

Although the event was held last year, there were some newcomers. One of the attendees, Madalyn Wardenburg, came with some of her family for a girls’ night out.

“I’m part of the wine club at Fireside, so that’s how I heard about this,” she said.

Wardenburg also shared why she thinks it’s important to support DVIP.

“There’s a lot of people who have experienced domestic violence,” she said. “There’s a lot of domestic violence in the world, and people don’t realize it because not enough people speak up about it. It’s about helping people.”