Runners Sought for 5K Race to End Violence
NEW BRITAIN, CT – April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month; to raise public awareness about sexual assault and other violent crimes, Central Connecticut State University has partnered with the YWCA New Britain and the Hartford Marathon Foundation to host a 5K race on Sunday, April 22. Registration for participation in “ENOUGH! Race to End Violence” will begin at 7 a.m. on the CCSU campus with a race start of 8 a.m.
The YWCA’s Sexual Assault Crisis Services (SACS) has a long history of helping people who have been victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and hopes to raise public awareness about the pervasiveness of sexual assault and all types of violence that affect victims and their families every day.
The race course will include portions of the CCSU campus and nearby Stanley Quarter Park. After the awards ceremony (at 10:00 a.m. approximately) participants and spectators will be invited to join crime victims and survivors to speak out against violence. All are encouraged to help spread the message that violence is not acceptable by taking part in an open dialogue on realistic and long-lasting alternatives to violence with local community members.
The proceeds from the race will support the YWCA’s Sexual Assault Crisis Services in its mission to comfort and counsel individuals affected by sexual assault and abuse. The center provides service to 46 towns in Hartford County and in parts of Tolland and Plymouth counties.
SACS’s mission is to eliminate sexual violence through crisis intervention, prevention education, and public policy advocacy. Advocates and volunteers answer hotline calls, work with law enforcement, accompany survivors at local emergency rooms and speak to community groups to ensure that victims’ voices are heard.
For more information and registration on this event, go to www.hartfordmarathonfoundation.com and click on ENOUGH! Race to End Violence under the events tab or contact Krystal Rich at krich@ywcanewbritain.org.
If you or someone you know is a victim/survivor of sexual assault please call the statewide 24-hour toll-free confidential hotline number: 888-999-5545 (English) or 888-568-8332 (Español).
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