Nearly 100 runners and walkers braved the rain and cold to participate in the SAFE organizations Color. Courage. Change. 5k and Fun Run held Saturday in Bryan Memorial Park.
The day of activities is part of April Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
One of the co-organizers of the program was sexual assault advocate Ladonna Koeberlein.
“We come together as a community with runners to celebrate our survivors and show that we as a whole community stand beside you,” Koeberlein said. “Today is about awareness, courage, and change, so that’s why we named the color run ‘Color, Courage, and Change.’ We’re here to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse and to remind our community that no one should have to walk through a traumatic experience like this alone, and that we’re all here for you today.”
Marion County State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth took part in the run and then shared his experience with the SAFE organization.
”When I took office a little more than five years ago, I will honestly say I didn’t know what SAFE was,” Hudspeth said. “After about a month, I quickly learned how important they are. The advocacy that they provide to the survivors, the connection that they bring the survivors and the State’s Attorney’s office to help with the prosecution of cases, the counseling they provide and the bridge that they are between the survivors and everyone else who has their back.”
Executive Director Mel Kelly asked those in attendance to become involved.
“Through education, advocacy, and community support, we can create safer spaces and a future free from sexual violence,” Kelly said. “Change doesn’t happen in a single day; it happens through continued action. Today I ask you to take the following steps: share what you’ve learned today, have conversations that challenge the stigmas around survivors, support the survivors in your life, and consider getting involved in SAFE, whether through volunteering, partnerships, or financial support.”
The attorney with the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Sarah Boehning, shared just how big a problem sexual violence is.
“The CDC’s national intimate partner and sexual violence survey from 23-24 reported that 45 percent of women and 16 percent of men experience contact sexual violence in their lifetimes,” Boehning said. “These numbers represent real people who have been harmed and continue to need support. In order to prevent and eliminate sexual violence, we need the entire community to come together and refuse to accept the status quo.
SAFE provides a 24-hour-a-day hotline for those in need of help. It is 1-800-625-1414.
