Remembrance Walk Planned In Honor Of Brianna Knoll

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

To her closest friends, Brianna Knoll will always be remembered as lively, bright, generous and kind woman with a “fantastic sense of humor.”

April 9 marked the two-year anniversary when Knoll was shot and killed by her boyfriend during a domestic dispute.
In relation with that date, there will be a remembrance walk for Knoll taking place at Riverside Park in Yankton. The event will take place this Saturday from 1-5 p.m.

“The walk this year will feature live music from the Kings of Oblivion and a balloon release at 4 p.m.,” said Jolene Beaudette, who was close friends with Knoll. “There will also be merchandise, food and beverages offered for a free-will donation. Portions of any donations will go to the Yankton Women’s and Children’s Shelter.”

Anne Becker is also helping to organize the event, and she was friends with Knoll as well.

“This is a ‘come and go as you please’ event, and people can walk Meridian Bridge as many times as they please,” she said. “We invite everyone from the community to come down and support the cause.”

The walk aims to raise awareness about domestic violence and the problems it can cause.

“The issue is very important. We just had another incident in town where a boyfriend (allegedly) attempted to shoot his girlfriend. Thankfully, this time it didn’t turn out horrible like it did with Brianna,” Becker said. “This community needs education and awareness on domestic violence. It’s incredibly important that this event is happening.”

Beaudette said that she hopes the walk allows community members to know of the resources available for domestic violence — including the Women’s and Children’s Shelter.

She added that the turnout was remarkable last year, and hopes it grows even more this year.

“This year, we had more time to put together the walk,” Beaudette said. “We’ve also been advertising it more this year, and a lot of news sources have been covering it. We hope that people show up and support the cause, and be informed and aware that domestic violence is going on and is an issue.”

The walk will also offer support to those who have been victims of domestic violence, and also commemorate and honor Knoll’s life.

“We want to share memories about her life during the walk,” Becker said. “The aftermath of the shooting is something we endure every day, and the grief is still overwhelming.”

She added that the walk serves as healing process for Knoll’s family and friends.

“Not only that, it will serve as a chance for people to stand united as a community and raise awareness about domestic violence,” Becker said. “The walk has become a unifying event, which enables family, friends and other victims to share their struggles and experiences together. We feel that there is an unfortunate reality that at some point, everybody knows — or will know — a victim of domestic violence.”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal