Invite to support ribbon riders

The White Ribbon anti-violence campaign riders will be welcomed into Rotorua on Wednesday at the Rotorua Hospital.

White Ribbon riders will be welcomed by the Rotorua community at a special White Ribbon Day celebration at Rotorua Hospital this Wednesday, which will also see the start of Rotorua woman Kahira-Rata Olley's Running to Stop It initiative.

The event is being organised in conjunction with Rotorua Safer Families, the police and other local agencies and community members and an invitation is extended to all the community.

Rotorua Safer Families co-ordinator Kiti Ransfield-King said the event was an opportunity for the community to get together to celebrate the White Ribbon Day anti-violence campaign, and the many organisations and individuals within the community that worked to support and promote safe and healthy whanau.

"It's great to have people that come along and support days like this but I know for a lot of our local agencies, a lot of our community groups, and voluntary sector and our whanau out there in the communities, they raise this kind of awareness every day. We are really quite honoured to have them come along to events like these. We couldn't do what we do without everyone involved."

A public karakia at Puketawhero Park at 7am will start the day's events before Running to Stop It founder Mrs Olley begins her solo journey to Hastings.

"I'm proud to be involved in the White Ribbon kaupapa of men standing up against violence. People are welcome to come and support me at the karakia before I set off with just my support crew," she said.

The riders are scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 9am, and will be welcomed into the hospital atrium for speeches and song as we reflect on what this year's White Ribbon theme of Respectful Relationships means for our whanau and our community. The speakers include Rotorua police area commander Superintendent Bruce Horne, Lakes DHB chief executive Ron Dunham, next year's Rotorua Boys' High School head boy Arapeta Paea, Running to Stop It support relay organiser member and CYF Rotorua site manager Tanya Hemara and White Ribbon Ride organiser Aaron Morrison.

The relay will start around 10.30am and finish at the Taupo Police Station.

KEY STATISTICS:

* One in three women will experience partner violence at some point in their lives

* Less than 20 per cent of abuse cases are reported

* Over 3500 convictions are recorded against men each year for assaults on women

* On average, 14 women a year are killed by their partners or ex-partners

* Police attend a family violence incident every 5-and-a-half minutes

* Family violence accounts for half of all reported serious crime

* In 2014 police responded to over 100,000 family violence incidents