By GARRY HOWE
THE lowly and largely unwanted five-cent piece will be at the centre of a movement around the streets of Pakenham on Friday 1 August to mark the first anniversary of the murder of local mother of three Kylie Blackwood.
An army of volunteers from the Inner Wheel Club of Pakenham will rattle tins, asking people to part with only five-cent coins in an effort to raise money for the White Ribbon campaign and, more importantly, shine a light on the issue of violence against women.
The idea was conceived under the auspices of the Kylie Blackwood Foundation by trustee Brian Paynter, who is also a member of the Challenge Family Violence campaign through Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong.
Mr Paynter, a close friend of the Blackwoods, said the tins would be left with local retailers for the month of August before the money was tallied and passed on to the White Ribbon Foundation.
He said it was more about highlighting the issue of violence against women in the community than raising money.
“It’s such a simple thing, but sends such a powerful message,” he said.
“We have worked out that there is $150 million worth of five-cent pieces in circulation around Australia and I would guess most of those are sitting a jar, a drawer or in the console of a car and not being used.
“These coins will be removed from circulation by the Reserve Bank before too long and we have the opportunity to collect them in our local area.
“It won’t raise a lot of money, but what it will do is send a strong message that any form of violence against women is unacceptable.”
In Australia, one woman is killed each week as a result of violence and one in three women will be subjected to some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
Mr Paynter chose the Inner Wheel Club of Pakenham as a representative community group to partner the campaign and its members jumped at the opportunity.
Incoming president Alma Elliott said it was a perfect fit for the values of Inner Wheel.
Ms Elliot said the club wanted to help in any way to help send a message that violence against women in any form was unacceptable.
“We want to call on all men to say this sort of behavior is not normal and not acceptable,” she said.
Outgoing president Jan Ahern said the brutal murder of Kylie Blackwood in her own home clearly resonated with local women.
“It could have been any one of us,” she said.
The Inner Wheel women will congregate outside the Pakenham Newsagency on the morning of Friday 1 August, then walk around the streets rattling their five-cent tins, before leaving them with a designated business.
