Photo by Bill Green Pat Campbell, an advocate with Heartly House, which supports victims of domestic violence, was one of a number of speakers at the third annual White Ribbon Campaign on Thursday in Frederick.

The third annual White Ribbon Campaign kicked off Thursday in Frederick . The Frederick County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council is sponsoring the monthlong campaign.

"With what's been in the newspapers this past week" the effort is more relevant than ever, said Pat Campbell.

Campbell is an advocate with Heartly House, which supports victims of domestic violence.

She said the campaign encourages men and boys to wear white ribbons during the month to show their support for stopping violence against women.

Students were invited to submit art depicting the campaign's message. Two of the artists, both from Frederick High School, attended Thursday to receive recognition for their submissions.Angel Pinott used a collage of words and pictures on his poster. Sarah Becker had just a single stark photograph of a woman looking distraught and frightened.

All of the entries "were extremely powerful," Campbell said.

Speaking at the event, Randy Martin, who works at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center, said that in the men's groups he leads he focuses on individual responsibility.

"Responsibility starts at home," he said.

Whether it's prohibiting misogynistic music and games or calling out a friend for disrespectful language about women, "I challenge them all ... to be a leader."

Guy Sampson, president of the Necktie Club at Tuscarora High School, was helping with the event held at his school. His club and his friends take nonviolence seriously, he said.The White Ribbon Campaign was launched in Canada in 1991, Campbell said in a news release. The campaign was a response to the mass murder of 14 women at a college in Montreal.

The slogan on the White Ribbon Campaign website is "men working to end men's violence against women." Visit www.whiteribbon.ca/about_us/ for more information.