ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — October 16, 2026

It began with innocence. On the grass beside the pavilion, with the mountains glowing in the late-afternoon sun, a squad of young cheerleaders in teal uniforms and oversized bows launched into stunts and pyramids at the Center of Protective Environment’s (COPE) annual Purple Event on Thursday, Oct. 15. For those few minutes, the evening belonged to childhood — fearless, joyful and met with applause.

Folklórico dancers followed on the covered stage, their wide, ribboned skirts swirling in bands of color against a backdrop of purple lights and banners urging the community to stop the violence and break the silence.

Then the tone shifted.

COPE Executive Director Veronica  Gutierrez stepped forward to remind the audience why they had gathered in purple, the color of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She spoke of the victims who never call a hotline, never file a report and, in too many cases, never survive

The pavilion fell silent for a moment of remembrance. Lining the edge of the stage stood a row of life-size wooden silhouettes painted bright orange — women, men and small children — each one standing in for a victim whose name may never be known. The smallest figures were a sobering counterpoint to the cheerleaders moments earlier: innocence is often the first thing abuse takes.

Innocence lost

That was the story keynote speaker Grace Nagamine came to tell.

Nagamine, a lifelong Alamogordo resident and independent candidate for New Mexico House District 51, spoke openly about a life shaped by abuse long before she was old enough to understand it. She told the audience she was sexually abused as a young child and again as a teenager. At 15, she became pregnant while caught in a toxic relationship.

The abuse became a cycle she repeated, she said, and that cycle led her down a path of drugs, intoxication and, eventually, incarceration.

The system that failed, and the person who didn’t

Nagamine described a system that failed her at nearly every turn. What changed her course, she said, was one social worker, Veronica Gutierrez, who refused to give up on her, now COPE’s executive director, whom Nagamine credits with saving her life.

Recovery, reintegration, reinvention

From there, Nagamine’s story turned toward bouncing back. Twenty years later, she described her journey through recovery, her reintegration into the community and the reinvention of herself. She spoke of finding faith in God and of her husband of 18 years, whom she credited as a steady partner on the road forward.

From victim to advocate

Today, the girl who lost her innocence early speaks up for those still losing theirs. Nagamine works as an advocate for women and children. She is the founder of Royal Angels, a former Mrs. New Mexico, and a mother and grandmother. She told the crowd that the same experiences that once broke her have made her strong enough to stand before them — and strong enough to run for public office.

Stacks of her book, The Grace Nagamine Story, sat on a purple-draped table near the stage, alongside ribbons, wristbands and other awareness giveaways that attendees carried home.

Nagamine is on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot as an independent candidate for House District 51, which covers much of Otero County. She faces incumbent Republican Rep. John Block, who has held the seat since 2023.

A message for those still in silence

The Purple Event closed as it was designed to: honoring those lost, celebrating those who survived, and reminding the community that help is available. COPE serves survivors of domestic violence and their children in Otero and Lincoln counties, with offices in Alamogordo and Ruidoso, offering a 24-hour hotline, crisis intervention, counseling, victim advocates and emergency shelter.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, COPE’s 24-hour hotline is (575) 437-2673. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233

Video of Nagamine’s full keynote is available on the Krazy KALH Radio YouTube channel: Grace Nagamine Tells All at COPE Purple Event 10-15-26.

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