Teen dating violence prevention program launched

Danielle and Caden Fure (center), (R to L) Destiny Redford, Tia Hafner, Darci Eastbury and Caitlin Keller sit on the tire swing at Rotary Adventure Playground dedicated to the late Dayna Fure, who was murdered by her estranged boyfriend. PHOTO BY KELLY RUHOFF | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS Six years ago to the date that Dayna Fure was murdered at the hands of her estranged boyfriend, a teen domestic prevention violence tool, In Their Shoes, was officially launched in her honor.

In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence, is a training tool for adults who work with teens. It was made possible through an $80,000 donation by the victim’s mother Melody Hafner-Cottrell and father Ben Fure.

The game-like-tool was produced and released last Monday on Camano Island by Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) on the anniversary of Dayna’s death. spokeswoman Kelly Starr WSCADV said the response the program is getting around the nation is incredible.

“It is so inspirational to so many people what this Stanwood family has done,” said Starr. “They’ve turned their grief into something positive. This program was so needed across the country.”

For Hafner-Cottrell, the launch of the program on the anniversary of her daughter’s death helped.

“This is the easiest day so far,” said Hafner-Cottrell. “She (Dayna) would be so happy. She’d be turning cartwheels out in the parking lot right now.”

Styled after an adult program, In Her Shoes, reallife scenarios guide youth in recognizing violent relationships, said WSCADV Executive Director Nan Stoops.

“It is a gift from Dayna’s family to all of us,” said Stoops.

Six characters in the game are based on actual teen victims of violent relationships, including Dayna (Cara in the game) and her aggressor, Mario Valentin.

Valentin first shot Dayna and then himself in a murder/ suicide after sneaking into her father’s home on the morning of May 24, 2004, two weeks before her graduation from Stanwood High School.

Teens that go through the program are given a color card that matches a character; they work in small teams that guide them “in their character’s shoes” as the relationship ultimately turns abusive, and then violent.

The cards give two choices for the teens to make after a scenario is played out. For example, they could go home to do their homework or lie to their parents about going to a boyfriend/girlfriend’s home or going out partying.

Teens can quickly see how a bad decision can spiral from having a warm and safe bed at night, to living on the streets.

During the kick-off, Hafner Cottrell and Dayna’s younger sister, Destiny Redford, 11, spoke about their loss.

“I know that if one life is saved by this effort, my sister would be happy and her legacy will have a chance to live on,” said Redford.

“We will never know if we could have saved her had we known then, what we know now,” said Hafner- Cottrell. “But it is the hope of my family that when people experience In Their Shoes, they will get more information about what to look and listen for.”

Settlement money following a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Snohomish County and the city of Stanwood in 2008 helped the family fund the program.

As part of the settlement, Snohomish County purchased a tire swing in Dayna’s honor at Rotary Adventure Playground at Terry’s Corner on Camano Island.

“She would have loved this,” said her sister Danielle Fure sitting on the tire swing on a sunny afternoon last Monday with Dayna’s nephew, Caden, on her lap.

For more information about In Their Shoes, visit www.wscadv.org.