PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The 2nd annual Color Run/Walk is coming to Presque Isle this weekend to boost awareness for victims of crime.
Sponsored by the Hope & Justice Project as part of National Crime Victims Rights Week, the event is slated for Saturday, April 29, starting and ending at the Sargent Family Community Center.
Registration is from 9 to 10 a.m., and participants will take off at 10 a.m.
“It’s important to recognize NCVRW, as it is a week dedicated to learning about victimization and the effect victimization has on individuals, families, friends and the community,” said Tammy Albert, director of prevention, education and training for the Hope & Justice Project.
In Aroostook County, victims face fears of not being believed and that perpetrators will retaliate, Albert said. Other challenges are shame, guilt and lack of knowledge of where or to whom to report the crime. Some victims are afraid they will lose their independence after reporting a crime, she said.
The Color Run/Walk isn’t a fundraising event, but a community awareness project made possible by a grant from the National Association of Victims’ of Crime.
The theme for this year is Survivor Voices: Elevate, Engage, Effect Change that is chosen by the Office for Victims Crimes. It calls on communities to amplify voices of survivors and create environments where survivors are confident they will be heard and supported, according to Albert.
The Hope & Justice Project was selected out of 240 national applications for the national community awareness grant based on their efforts to promote services to victims of crime and to raise public awareness about victims’ rights and services in Aroostook County.
Other agencies will attend the event to share information about their services, including Wintergreen Arts and Aroostook Mental Health Services’ sexual assault services and Presque Isle comprehensive treatment center, to name a few.
“It’s so important to highlight the voices of crime survivors and the countless service providers and first responders who work tirelessly to support them,” Albert said.
More than 100 people attended last year’s Color Run/Walk event with 75 race participants. For this year, the Hope & Justice Project hopes there will be around 150 to 200 in attendance.
The biggest challenge for the Hope & Justice Project is bringing awareness to the communities about survivors and the challenges they face when living with abusers and after survivors leave them, Albert said.
Participation in the run/walk is free. Participants can register online through the Hope & Justice Project website or in person at the event.
