Femmes Of Rock At The Vixen To Honor Military Women
(Crystal Lake, IL)
Honoring women in the military, Crystal Lake American Legion Post 171 and Galvanized Iron present Femmes of Rock at The Vixen in McHenry Saturday, May 6 at 8:30 pm.
Femmes of Rock, starring Bella Electric Strings features the music of Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, The Who and more. Led by violinst, and arranger Nina DiGregoria, Femmes of Rock has awed audiences worldwide with unique arrangements, blistering solos, outstanding beauty, and charm.
The evening highlight will be a one-of-a-kind performance of the Star-Spangled Banner while images of some of the area’s female veterans will be displayed on the screen.
The William Chandler Peterson American Legion Post 171 began a focus on female veterans and active military in the past year. The rock show at The Vixen, 1208 Green Street in McHenry is a good fit for the Legion in its efforts to address PTSD and Suicide Awareness.
Charlie Morgan, Commander explains, “Women are now more than 20% of our military. They are soldiers who serve and the impact on their lives is lasting. This event will be filmed by Galvanized Iron, a military centric video company to capture the energy of the evening and its honored guests.”
Last year, The Walk a Mile in Her Boots event, and its subsequent shift into an art installation, was a collaborative effort of veteran organizations led by William Chandler Peterson American Legion Post 171 in Crystal Lake. Many of the county’s veteran nonprofits participated as did several communities.
The push to recognize women veterans specifically has been a year-long challenge that Post 171 has undertaken after hearing the staggering statistics of veteran suicide risks.
“Our emphasis on women veterans occurred when we learned that they are 250 percent more likely to attempt and die from suicide than women who did not serve in the military,” said Morgan.
That statistic, coupled with the National American Legion program titled “Be the One,” which emphasizes being present and ready to act when a veteran is at risk for suicide, galvanized the Crystal Lake Legion into action. It has since added several events with a decided focus on women veterans.
Women veterans are less likely to participate in veteran programs and groups as many are male dominated, said Morgan. This isolation can contribute to PTSD and suicide ideation.
In addition to the events planned, Morgan reported that Post 171 was in discussions with a women’s veteran organization headquartered on the East Coast called “She’s The Veteran”. The objective is to start a region of the group in McHenry County.