Almost 18 million American women, or one in six, have been victims of attempted or completed rape, according to National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. To fight the danger and raise awareness, People Against Rape hosted the 25th annual Take Back the Night event in the Stern Center Gardens April 1.
The evening featured ongoing art activities, a local nonprofit organization resource fair, survivor speakers and a candlelight vigil.
Keynote speaker Summer Kimmel-Borges told her personal story as a victim of sexual assault. Her neighbor raped her the first night she moved into a new home. After struggling with the effects for several months, Kimmel-Borges decided she wanted to speak out.
“It’s just another way for me to cope with what has happened to me,” Kimmel-Borges said.
Kimmel-Borges and her mother have started a nonprofit organization to help other victims voice their stories.
“If we can prevent this from happening to just one person, then the work is all worth it,” Kimmel-Borges said.
Her speech received a standing ovation.
Senior Nicole Weaver said she had never been to Take Back the Night and wanted to see what it was about. The most memorable part of the evening for her was Kimmel-Borges’ speech.
“Her testimony was so moving,” Weaver said.
Freshman Hope Hendricks said she will most remember the T-shirt and shoe display.
An aisle of T-shirts decorated with paint hung in rows toward the back of the gardens. The shirts represented different people who were sexually assaulted and expressed words of pain and fear. Typed stories of sexual abuse were attached to pairs of shoes, ranging from small child to adult sizes. Like the T-shirts, the shoes also represented true accounts of sexual assault victims.
Later in the evening, the candlelight vigil began. Each person was given a small candle to hold while marching silently around campus before returning to the gardens for refreshments and live music.
Take Back the Night involves a year-long planning process on the part of PAR staff.
“It was really a team effort to bring this all together,” PAR Advocate Jametta L. King said.
PAR collaborates with local agencies and law enforcement to bring sexual abuse awareness to the community. Take Back the Night is just one way in which they make it happen.
“I cannot stress awareness enough. It is all about awareness,” King said. “Take Back the Night makes people aware of sexual abuse and commemorates those it happened to.”
King began working with the PAR team one year ago when she decided it was time to give back to the community.
“I joined because of a family situation involving my sister. I knew this would be a great way to give back,” King said. “PAR provides great services to victims, and it is all free.”
Some of the services offered include a 24-hour crisis hotline, hospital and medical support, legal advocacy, support groups and individual counseling.
Serving the tri-county area since 1974, PAR hosts several events throughout the year, but King said Take Back the Night is the biggest hit of all.
For more information about PAR and volunteer opportunities, visit www.peopleagainstrape.org or call 745-0144.