You can make a difference this April.
Rise Above Violence is hosting its 11th annual Push-Up Challenge during the month of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
This 30-day challenge allows people to participate from wherever they are, on their own time.
Registration for the event is $25, which covers your swag gear and access to the challenge with some amazing prizes. For those that would like to fundraise to support victims and survivors in our community, we have a great platform that you can utilize to share out with friends and family.
Our goal this year is for our community to complete 38,130 total push-ups in the month of April. Why 38,130? That seems like a lot. Every 68 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S., which equals 1,271 every day, and 38,130 represents the number of victims in the 30 days of April.
That statistic from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) also elaborates that in that total, every nine minutes that victim is a child — that is 160 children everyday that will experience sexual violence.
“Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault,” according to RAINN.
You can be part of the solution.
Community is powerful. Too often, victims feel isolated, alone and overwhelmed, and the push-up challenge signifies the power we as a community have to overcome violence and together push up victims who need extra strength to lift them above the trauma.
As a participant, you can commit to any number of push-ups or follow one of our plans to build up your strength. We have created a beginner, intermediate and advanced month-long challenge that will push you to increase your level of fitness.
You can register and find more information at www.riseaboveviolence.org/push-up-challenge.
Through the challenge we are hoping to raise $15,000 that will go directly toward supporting victims of sexual assault in our community with resources and support to help with their healing.
There is a Facebook event and group page to increase community around the challenge and where you can post all of your pictures for the prize categories we have, like the person who does push-ups in the most unusual place. Other prize categories include: for the person who recruits the most people to participate in the challenge, for the person who does the most regular push-ups in the month and for the person who raises the most money during the month.
We will also have a push-up challenge blitz — as many people as possible will come together to complete as many push-ups as possible in 30 minutes. The blitz will be held at CrossFit Pagosa on April 27. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more details. We have a sponsor that will be supporting the challenge and donate extra money for toe push-ups completed.
This will be a great way to wrap up the month-long challenge and bring together our community.
Join us for the month of April to support victims and survivors in our community. Challenge someone to do the push-up challenge with you as a team or compete with someone to keep you motivated. If 40 challengers register and commit to 35 push-ups per day, we will hit the goal of 38,130.
Upcoming dates to
remember
April 2: Wear Teal Day.
April 10: Sexual Assault Response Webinar at 4 p.m.
April 24: Denim Day Walk at noon at the bell tower.
April 27: Push-Up Challenge Blitz Party at CrossFit Pagosa.
About Rise
Rise is a nonprofit organization that promotes the belief that all people have the right to live free from violence.
Rise provides 24-hour support and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or other forms of violence, serving more than 350 victims each year.
Rise also works to eliminate violence through education for youth and our community.
All programs and services are free and confidential, including emergency prevention education and empowerment programs.
Visit www.riseaboveviolence.org for more information or call (970) 264-9075 to talk to an advocate today. If you want to be part of the team to help those in our community, volunteers for advocacy are always needed and welcomed.
