Anna Von Frances

Posts Tagged ‘Anna Von Frances’

This October Run & Walk to End Violence Against Women.

Posted on: April 11th, 2012 by Nellie's No Comments

It’s April, the sun is shining, the runners and walkers are out every morning and evening, and it’s time to start planning for the 2012 race season!

This year, Team Nellie’s is back with a bigger fundraising goal ($20,000) and we are looking for some new members to join us as we run and walk to End Violence Against Women.

(Anna is back for her second year running the half-marathon for Nellie’s.)

Despite the fact that the most dangerous time for a woman in an abusive relationship is right before she tries to leave, in 2011 over 167 women made the brave decision to leave their homes and come to Nellie’s in search of a brighter future. The money raised by our team members will go to support critical programs and services such as emergency shelter, counselling, support groups, educational programs, advocacy, and food access.

(Adriana running along the highway during the half-marathon.)

Last year our amazing team helped us raise over $11,000 for Nellie’s and this year we’ve almost doubled our goal to $20,000. We would love for you to join us this year! Please e-mail info@nellies.org or give us call at 416-461-0769 if you would like more information about the race. Remember, if you commit to raising $250 or more, your race entry is free!

(Team Member Pedro enjoying the taste of victory at the end of the half-marathon!)

For the most up-to-date information about Team Nellie’s at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, please visit our Charity Challenge Facebook page here or follow us on twitter here.

Why GirlFight?

Posted on: December 8th, 2011 by Nellie's No Comments

Tomorrow night at The Great Hall, PinkMafia will host the second round of GirlFight. This fundraising event was created by PinkMafia’s founder Anna Von Frances and will feature all-female K1 Thai Boxing. The event will be hosted by Hook Up Muay Thai and MMA Fighter Robin Black. The first round of GirlFight, which was the very first all-female boxing even in Toronto, took place last year and raised over $5000 for Nellie’s. This year Anna’s goal is to raise $10,000 to go towards building a new shelter for the women and children escaping violence, poverty, and homelessness.

A question that has been addressed to us a few times is: “Why would a women’s shelter host an event that features women fighting?” Here is our answer:

Women who come to Nellie’s are fleeing violence that is perpetrated by an aggressor against a victim. It is unwanted, and leaves lasting physical and psychological trauma, as well as emotional damage. Violence against women is a human rights abuse.

GirlFight is a sporting event that features boxing and kick boxing between two consenting women who are trained professionals. The women participating in GirlFight come to the event expecting and wanting to compete, the match is refereed and sanctioned and can end at any time if one of the participants wants to stop, and the sport is based on endurance, technique and strategy. None of the women at GirlFight are experiencing aggression against their will. Everything that occurs is consensual, sanctioned, and professional.

Anna Von Frances, the creator of this event and a boxer herself describes her experience participating in the sport as follows: “Boxing and kickboxing have taught me to stay calm in heated situations and above all, that I do not have to be victimized by anyone, anytime. It’s the most empowering thing I’ve ever done and has given me the confidence as well as a sense of community that I’ve never had before.” Girlfight promotes self-esteem and empowerment through physical fitness and positive expressions of aggression and aims to promote the sport to more women in the community.

Debby Cabral, a fighter from Hook Up Muay Thai who will be at GirlFight tomorrow spoke to She Does the City about what boxing means to her: “What I love most about Muay Thai is that it has changed my life forever. I was in a dark place for a long time and didn’t really have any goals. Once I discovered Muay Thai and my family at Hook Up, everything changed for the better.” Read more about Debby here.

All proceeds from GirlFight tomorrow night will directed towards Nellie’s new shelter. For more information, please visit the GirlFight facebook page. There are a limited number of advance tickets available for $20 and they can be purchased here – there will be a few extras at the door. There will also be a raffle with some great prizes including Puma swag, a Heineken Beertender, and two 1-year memberships to 99 Sudbury. Music by Steve Rock + Fawn B.C. Hope to see you there!