Ruth Scifo was so busy working on the last details for the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., bus trip she helped organize, she didn’t have time to watch President Donald J. Trump sworn into office.
She didn’t mind missing it. “I could not watch,” said the Crystal Lake woman, who was upset and disappointed about November’s election.
She was feeling something entirely different as she stood inside the lobby of a Point Boulevard building in Elgin Friday afternoon, waiting to catch the bus with 46 other women, men and children headed to the U.S. capitol for the event.
“I feel energized coming together,” Scifo said. “The march is a statement. It’s a way to come together. It’s a call to action.”
Sciofo and her group were among the estimated 500,000 who descended on Washington, more than doubling the 200,000 who had been expected to attend.
Scifo began making plans to head to D.C. when she learned about the march shortly after the election. When she began talking with other women who shared her views, she and co-organizer Cathy Johnson set up the bus trip.
“People are begging for seats right now,” Johnson said Friday. Her daughter, Natalie, traveled from Colorado in order to join her on the trip.
The interest increased in the last few weeks, possibly spurred by Trump’s cabinet nominations, Scifo said.
“As we got closer to the Inauguration, it became more real to people that we have this change coming,” Scifo said. “I think the reason people are here is they are not happy about it.”
Organizing the bus trip helped her focus on taking action rather than lamenting what happened, Scifo said. “If there’s anything good about the election is people are paying attention and getting active,” she said.
“I think it’s exciting,” Scifo said. “It’s almost a resurgence of the women’s movement from the 1970s and, from my perspective, it’s great to see. I take heart in it.”
The bus trip brought together people from around the area. Corinne Pierog, of St. Charles, was meeting her son, James, a doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University. She is marching to raise concerns about child care costs and funding for the arts.
“Our voices are not being heard,” Pierog said. “It is very important for the president, cabinet and representatives know we represent families. We represent the heart of our communities.”
Paula Yensen, a member of the McHenry County Board, is making the journey to represent women and to be a voice for the voiceless, she said. She has been in social services for 30 years and is concerned about the Trump administration dismantling the Affordable Care Act.
Yensen also felt energized. “I am looking forward to lending my voice at the march. It’s an invigorating experience,” she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
