April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and while rape is certainly nothing to celebrate, you can help acknowledge the month, and raise much-needed funds for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), by participating in BARCC's Fourth Annual Walk For Change, on Sunday, April 5 (registration begins at 10 am; the walk takes off at 11). Uniting community members, agencies, SA survivors, and general loathers of sexual violence, the walk is a five-kilometer loop along the Charles River that starts and finishes at Canal Park, next to the CambridgeSide Galleria. Organizers hope to attract 1000 walkers and raise $100,000 for BARCC, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing sexual violence, providing free resources for survivors — including a 24-hour hotline, counseling services, and medical and legal advocacy — and educating the community about the realities and repercussions of sexual assault and rape.Pre-register and create a fundraising page for the walk at firstgiving.com/barcc. Registration is $20 ($30 if you register the day of the walk), $15 for children under 12, and $5 for dogs, so even Fido can help combat sexual violence . . . without biting anyone (just keep him on a leash). Student or community groups with more than 20 walkers should e-mail Kelli-Beth Conway at kbconway@barcc.org for group registration information.
The walk features various and sundry festivities and a raffle — for which you'll receive one ticket per $100 fundraised — plus prizes for top fundraisers, so persuade all your family and coworkers to empty their pockets for a good cause. Hey, if the damned Girl Scouts can do it in times of economic hardship, so can you. All proceeds will benefit BARCC.
Visit barcc.org for more information about the Walk For Change, or for sexual-assault survivor resources. If you need immediate help pertaining to sexual violence, call the BARCC hotline at 800.841.8371.
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