Surprise Mayor Skip Hall officially proclaimed October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” at the Oct. 3 regular City Council meeting.

As part of the proclamation, Hall urged the community to recognize this important event and work together to eliminate domestic violence in the city.

Purple is the nationally-recognized color, signifying the effort to raise awareness about domestic violence. Surprise City Hall and the city’s Public Safety Building will be lit purple each evening during October.

This year’s national “Wear Purple Day” is Thursday, Oct. 19. City staff will be wearing purple, and the community is encouraged to take part in this visible way to show support for victims and the numerous organizations and people who provide advocacy and assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Additionally, the Surprise Resource Center partners with Eve’s Place to offer Domestic Violence support and services on-site. For information about this service, call 623-222-1600.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month was launched nationwide in October 1987 to raise awareness about this issue and connect individuals and organizations working to stop domestic violence.

Data shows that domestic violence is a concern across the country and impacts individuals from every race, gender and socioeconomic group. In the U.S., one in three adults will be the victim of an act of domestic violence during their lifetime. One in every five children in America is exposed to domestic violence each year.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), or visit TheHotline.org.