Give Them Hope run to coincide with National Child Abuse Prevention month
Agape House is again hosting its annual 5K Run, Walk, Stroll event Saturday, April 25, at the Agape House, 215 S. Main St., in Walworth.
Individuals, families, and groups of all sizes are welcome to participate in the event, which aims to raise awareness of child abuse. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., the 5K event begins at 10 a.m., and a lunch will be served in the Agape House Multipurpose Room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The entry fee of $25 includes event participation, a commemorative T-shirt, and a healthy lunch. Children younger than 16 are free to participate in the event and, at the time of registration, can pay $5 for lunch if they wish. The entry fee will be waived for individuals who raise $100 or more in sponsor donations. Prizes will be awarded to the top three individuals or groups who raise the most support.
The event course begins and ends at the Agape House school parking lot, with the 5K (3.1 mile) route running along city streets providing ease of use for running, walking, strollers and wheelchairs.
Registration and sponsor forms can be downloaded from the Agape House website, AgapeHouseHeals.org/events-fundraisers/.
Participants must Register by April 15 for T-shirt and lunch reservations. Registrations coming in after this date will be gladly accepted, but T-shirt and lunch can’t be guaranteed. This is a rain or shine event.
For more information, contact Agape House at (262) 275-6466 or office@AgapeHouseHeals.org.
Child abuse month
The Agape House event is being held during National Child Abuse Prevention month.
According to a press release from the Agape House, every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the U.S. involving more than 6 million children and 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator.
According to information provided by Agape House:
- The U.S. has one of the worst records among industrialized nations in the world, losing between four and seven children daily to child abuse and neglect
- Most children become victims of abuse and neglect at 18-months-old or younger
- One out of three girls and one out of five boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18
- Abused and neglected children are more likely to engage in criminal behavior as an adult
- About 80 percent of 21-year-old who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder
- Abused children are less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases. They’re also 25 percent more likely to experience teen pregnancy
