READING, PA – On Saturday, April 29th, 3:00pm at First Energy Stadium located at 1900 Centre Ave, Safe Berks will hold its annual walk to raise awareness about the reality of sexual assault domestic violence in our community. Last year, over 200 people attended the walk and we are hoping for an even larger attendance this year. The “WALK FOR NO MORE” is an initiative encouraging the community to end domestic violence and sexual assault. This is the third annual event of its kind that Safe Berks has undertaken.According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network):Every 2 minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.1 in 33 American men has experienced an attempted or completed rape in his lifetimeAbout 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim “This is an extremely important community event. Our first Walk for No More two years ago was a huge success. This year we are hoping to grow both the number of walkers and sponsors, and thereby substantially increase the amount of funds generated. Raising money is critical, because the demand for sexual assault and domestic violence services at Safe Berks continues to grow. We also want this event to be informative. We are hoping to raise awareness of the issues surrounding sexual assault and domestic violence, and we want to educate our community about the vital services Safe Berks provides to victims. Safe Berks, educate, advocate, end abuse.” Diane Duff, SecretaryBoard of Directors for Safe Berks “Together we can end domestic violence and sexual assault, in order to get there, we must engage the conversation with men and boys. I encourage all residents to take a moment and think about what you can do to help put an end to domestic violence and sexual assault in this community.” Joseph J. Cicala, Vice PresidentUniversity Life and Dean of Students of Alvernia UniversityVivian, a survivor of domestic violence, said “Being at the Walk, seeing how many people care, inspires a deep sense of gratitude. My ex-husband was very controlling which left me feeling helpless and alone. With the help of my counselor at Safe Berks I became educated about all the resources in the community that were available to me. Safe Berks helped me turn my life around, and I now have a renewed sense of hope for the future.”The walk will take place at First Energy Stadium in Reading, in conjunction with the Reading Fightin Phils. The goal of the walk is to raise $35,000 for Safe Berks services and programs.Participants will walk over about a mile outdoors around the stadium prior to the Reading Fightin Phil’s game against the Portland Sea Dogs.Walker check-in will begin at 3:00 pm at the stadium.Teams and individuals are encouraged to pre-register for the event on CrowdRise, a web-based platform that makes it easy to solicit donations from friends and family members. Each registered individual walker that raises $100 or more will receive a free t-shirt, and all walk participants will receive a free general admission ticket to the game at 6:05 PM. Prizes will be awarded in several categories to encourage and reward the walkers who are assisting Safe Berks in reaching their financial goal.The public is encouraged to participate, either as a walker and/or a donor. All donations will assist the agency in meeting its mission: To provide a safe haven and ongoing support system for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our advocacy and education programs increase awareness and promote the prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault, and all forms of oppression.It’s easy to join an existing team, create your own team, walk as an individual, or make a donation to the team or individual of your choice. The link to register or donate is: www.crowdrise.com/2017WALKFORNOMORESafe Berks is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe haven and ongoing support system for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our advocacy and education programs increase awareness and promote the prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault, and all forms of oppression. Safe Berks has been proudly serving the Berks County, Pennsylvania community for 40 years.For more information please visit www.safeberks.org
Safe Berks Walk For No More 2017
