April 14th Race to Raise Funds & Awareness of the Silent Epidemic in U.S. Impacting More than One in Four Girls & One in Seven Boys

Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to awareness about and funds to prevent and treat child sexual abuse (CSA), announced that the U.S. Surgeon General Moritsugu, Victor Vieth, Director of the National District Attorney's Association Child Abuse Programs, and Maryland State's Attorney Glenn Ivey will all be speaking at the Fourth Annual International Race to Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse. The race will be held Saturday, April 14, 2007, at 8:00 AM in Washington, DC, in West Potomac Park (West of 17th Street and south of Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20242). A pledge Fun Run/Walk of 2.25 miles will be held at the same time. There is also a 1K Kids Fun Run with prizes for all kids 12 and under. The funds raised will be used to provide comprehensive local and national programming.

The race was conceived and born as a result of research done in collaboration with the University of Maryland on how to get people involved with an issue that most have trouble hearing or speaking about, and how to engage the media. It. provides a means by which the public can actively get out for the cause, have fun with the entire family, and learn more. Important speakers this year include Victor Vieth, Director of Child Abuse Programs for the National District Attorney's Association, Rear Admiral Kenneth Moritsugu, M.D., acting U.S. Surgeon, and Glenn Ivey, Maryland State's Attorney. These gentlemen understand the importance of an event like this. As Victor Vieth noted, "We spend 94 billion dollars each year dealing with the aftermath of child abuse--but very little on the front end. I'm hopeful that the Race to Stop the Silence will focus all of us to intervene earlier in cases of maltreatment." "Yes," Pine added, "the statistic speak volumes when we have a situation where 95% of teen prostitutes, over 32% percent of incarcerated killers (both men and women), 60% of teenage mothers; 73% of female runaways, and an enormous number of those abusing drugs and alcohol were all sexually abuse, we need to do something about the problem."

The Race to Stop the Silence will include a timed 10K Race with wonderful prizes, a 2.25 mile Fun Run/Walk, and a 1K Kids' Fun Run. Race entry fees are $25 and $30 on race day (on buses from Freedom Plaza only) for the 10K race and the 2.25 mile run/walk. Commemorative T-shirts will be available to all entrants. To register for the race, please visit: www.stopcsa.org/race. This annual event has grown each year, attracting about 1,200 people this past year. Sponsorship support comes from the generosity of groups including the Walking Company, Ms. Foundation for Women, Constella Group, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Comcast, and others.

Race sponsors are providing valuable prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place male and female race winners across numerous categories. The first man and woman to cross the finish line will each receive a ticket to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies in the Continental United States. Other winners will receive goods from the Walking Company and accommodations and activities at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

The National Race to Stop the Silence was born with the assistance of many, including Sharon Simone, a CSA survivor, activist, and educator. Ms. Simone was a leading advocate for passage of the The Child Abuse Accountability Act after years of silence about childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at the hand of her father, a FBI agent and nationally recognized child abuse expert.

About Stop the Silence: Stop the Silence is a non- profit, charitable organization working with individuals, companies, and community- and faith-based organizations in various states to raise awareness and funds to support programming, and provide technical assistance in the area of CSA prevention and treatment. More information at: www.stopcsa.org/race.

Last Year's Race Report