In recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and National Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, Lauren’s Kids will host a 42+ hour walk in honor of the more than 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the United States. The awareness walk will be held at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee from April 2-4, 2019.
For more than 42 continuous hours, advocates, legislators, state leaders, survivors, and community members will join Senator Lauren Book and the Lauren’s Kids Foundation on the plaza level of the Florida Capitol to walk on a treadmill donated by Premier Health & Fitness Center in Tallahassee.
Members of the public are invited to participate by showing their support at the walk-a-thon and registering for a 15-minute walking shift here.
“Each April, Lauren’s Kids uses this national month of significance to provide sexual abuse survivors with a platform to share their stories while raising awareness for the one in three girls and one in five boys who will become victims of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday,” said Senator Lauren Book, founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids. “Thousands of survivors and allies have joined us in our 1,500-mile ‘Walk in My Shoes’ journey across Florida over the course of the past eight years, and we’re excited to add a new twist on our advocacy walk while staying focused on our mission to prevent child sexual abuse through awareness and education.”
Over the years, Lauren’s Kids has honored Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month in various capacities, including the “Walk in My Shoes” journey across the Florida, “Walk in My Shoes” display at the Capitol, televised awareness programs, an EMMY Award-winning PSA with CBS Cares, donation drives and more.
For more information about this year’s “42 Hours” walk-a-thon, please visit laurenskids.org/saam.
Lauren Book, M.S. ED, founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids, is an internationally-recognized child protection advocate, best-selling author and Florida State Senator who works every day to protect childhood. She is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, suffered at the hands of a trusted caretaker from the time she was 10 until the age of 16. Armed with the knowledge that 95 percent of sexual abuse is preventable through education and awareness, Lauren has worked to turn her horrific personal experience into a vehicle to prevent childhood sexual abuse and help other survivors heal.
An official 501(c)(3) since 2007, Lauren’s Kids educates adults and children about sexual abuse prevention through in-school curricula, ADDY and EMMY Award-winning public awareness campaigns and speaking engagements around the country and the world. The organization provides more than 8 million direct mail education and awareness materials statewide. The foundation has helped advocate for the passage of nearly two dozen laws to support survivors and protect children from predators. For more information, please visit www.laurenskids.org.
