Rock the Boat Raises More than $35,000 To Help Advance Reproductive Freedom in Rhode Island
Contact: [email protected]
For Immediate Release: July 11, 2019
Annual Fundraiser for PPV!RI Celebrates the RPA and Legislative Wins While Focusing on the Fight Ahead
(Providence, RI) — Supporters, activists, and allies for reproductive freedom gathered on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at Rock the Boat—the annual fundraising celebration for Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island (PPV!RI)—from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Ogie’s Trailer Park, 1155 Westminster Street in Providence. The event raised more than $35,000 to support the organizing, advocacy, and electoral work of PPV!RI.
Amanda Skinner, President and CEO of PPV!RI, served as a master of ceremonies and welcomed featured guest Representative Anastasia P. Williams (D-Providence) to address the crowd. Representative Williams was the sponsor of The Reproductive Privacy Act of 2019 (RPA), which was signed into law on June 19, 2019 and codified the fundamental right to safe, legal abortion into Rhode Island state statute. Guests celebrated this momentous win—and other legislative victories from the 2019 General Assembly session—and began mobilizing together for the crucial 2020 elections.
“Every one of you helped make this moment happen,” said Amanda Skinner, reflecting on the historic passage of the RPA. “But we have more work to do—we want to break down barriers. We want to make sure doula care is covered under Medicaid and private insurance. We want to make sure everyone gets equal pay. We will fight to codify the basic protections of the Affordable Care Act. We want to make the world a more equitable place.”
“This journey was immense, heavy, painful, fruitful, but it was ultimately successful,” said Representative Williams. “We got it done with each and every one of you helping. If we put in the same energy we did for the RPA for the future, we’re going to rock the boat without tipping it over.”
While Rock the Boat commemorated the immense achievement of passing the RPA, the event also applauded the establishment of a maternal mortality review commission, the extension of the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse, and significant progress on ensuring insurance coverage for perinatal doula services, securing pay equity, codifying the essential protections of the ACA, and other priority legislation.
For more information about advocacy and policy work of Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island, visit ppvotes.org. Support for PPV!RI helps advance Planned Parenthood of Southern New England’s mission to protect the fundamental right of all individuals to manage their own fertility and sexual health, and to ensure access to the services, education, and information to realize that right.