Chippewa Strong event kicks off Monday evening
Jan. 28—CHIPPEWA FALLS — An event focusing on the resilience of the Chippewa Falls community will take place this evening at the Heyde Center for the Arts.
"Chippewa Strong: Community Resilience Series" is free and open to the public, but advance registration is encouraged. With a string of tragedies in recent years in the city, such as the 2018 crash that killed three Girl Scouts and a mother, to last year's shocking murder of 10-year-old Lily Peters, the goal of the event is to foster a sense of healing and hope among area residents.
"Our community members have come together time after time to support each other in the aftermath of tragedy, and that is something we cannot afford to take for granted," Chippewa County Public Health Director Angela Weideman said. "While we cannot always stop bad things from happening, we can take proactive steps to take care of ourselves, which then enables us to help those around us as well."
Weideman said community members began planning this event in June, in the wake of Peters' death.
"The community is saying, 'I'm sad and I'm triggered,'" Weideman said. "We want to hear about how Chippewa can become a more resilient community."
The event has a capacity of 200 participants. As of Friday afternoon, 113 people had registered, she said.
The Chippewa Falls school district is one of the sponsors.
"We have seen so many students and families impacted by recent tragedies — the need for both formal and informal support has never been greater," said Jamie Ganske, Director of Mental Health and Resiliency for the school district. "The ripple effects of these events can have far-reaching impacts, and our community partners recognize the need to bring people together to heal."
A free dinner will be offered at 4:30 p.m., followed by a speech at 5 p.m. by Denise Olson, whose husband, Jeff, was a firefighter who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"Denise started a journey to assist others in healing unseen wounds and empowering others to create a life they love living," a news release announcing the event stated.
After her speech, there will be breakout discussions at 6 p.m.
Child care will be available for potty-trained children.
The Chippewa County Department of Public Health is leading the event, with sponsoring partners including the Community Foundation of Chippewa County, the United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and Northwestern Bank.
A second community resilience event is planned for May 5 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.
The Heyde Center for the Arts is located at 3 S. High St., Chippewa Falls.
For more information, contact the Health Department at 715-726-7900.
