Riding the wave of energy and passion generated by the 1998 Valentine’s Day gala performance of Eve Ensler’s "The Vagina Monologues" in New York City, V-Day’s outreach, numbers, and momentum continued to grow, exceeding our already high expectations.

The movement expanded internationally with a Valentine's Day V-Day event in London’s renowned Old Vic theater. Like our premier event in New York, it featured celebrated female performers, was covered extensively by the media, and raised funds for organizations that work to end violence against women and offer support and shelter to those who have been abused.

In addition to the London event, more than 65 schools in the United States and Canada accepted our invitation to participate in the V-Day 1999 College Initiative. (Note: In 2001 the College Initiative's name was changed to the College Campaign.) The impetus for the V-Day College Initiative was to spread the V-Day message by encouraging colleges and universities around the world to celebrate V-Day in their communities with a performance of "The Vagina Monologues" on Valentine's Day. In support of V-Day’s mission to end violence many schools gave the money they raised through ticket sales to organizations that provide local services to abused women. (To find the list of college participants to date or to learn more about this year's College Initiave, click here.)

According to figures reported by the participating schools, more than 20,000 people were exposed to V-Day via the 1999 Initiative. This towering success set the stage for the V-Day 2000 College Initiative, which reached out to millions of people around the world committed to ending violence against women.