‘Don’t be Afraid to Save Someone’s Life”

PALMER — It’s been almost 4 years since Breanna “Bree” Moore was murdered by her boyfriend, Joshua Almeda. Bree’s parents, Butch and Cindy started their campaign to stop the cycle of violence prevalent across the state. Most recently, Governor Bill Walked deemed Feb. 13 as Wear Orange Day- the annual sea of orange complementing National Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Month. It celebrates the passing of ‘Bree’s Law,’ the Alaska Safe Children’s Act in 2015 and the collaboration of the governor’s office and 359 schools across the state.

“This is the first step in making a substantial change,” Butch Moore said.

Everyone in Alaska is encouraged to wear orange this Tuesday, starting conversations and adding momentum to the growing cause. Butch and Cindy see this ongoing conversation as the missing link that needs to be interwoven in communities.

“Students can say, Bree was just like me and she was killed — this actually happens,” Butch said.

Posters depicting Bree’s Law, the website and anonymous call, text and chat lines are already on their way to 359 schools all over the state. Butch said that anonymity is a key element to helping victims seek help; victims who might otherwise stay silent. The help lines are a way for people to talk to someone safely while protecting their privacy.

“If someone you know has a problem, don’t be afraid to help,” Butch said.

About four months after Bree’s death, Butch talked to Bree’s coworkers and discovered they saw red flags prior to her death. They said she would come in with black eyes but they didn’t know what to do. They wanted to talk about it but were worried she would get upset. This was eye-opening for Butch. He realized in that moment, Bree’s coworkers weren’t the only ones in the dark, not properly informed about the real dangers inherent with abusive relationships. He used an analogy: if someone is choking on a sandwich, one can perform the Heimlich maneuver and save their life. He said it takes about 10 minutes to learn the Heimlich, a simple but life-saving bit of knowledge. That is what he and Cindy want for this campaign — a simple, yet effective means for the public to start saving lives in a state that is notorious for having the highest per capita rates of domestic violence in the nation.

“Over 50 percent of women in Alaska have been physically or sexually abused in their lifetime,” Cindy said.

Butch said he and Cindy have worked very closely with the Alaska Department of Education and Bill Walker to get to make this mission a reality.

“The Governor’s office has been great. They’ve been 100 percent behind us during this campaign,” Butch said.

Cindy said that a growing number of parents approached her and Butch, telling them they are now talking to their children about dating violence.

“That makes all the time and work we’ve invested into this worth it,” Cindy said.

For more information about Bree’s Law, visit: www.breeslaw.org or www.facebook.com/breeslawsaveslives