Teal to Heal Family Walk/Run held at Tewatahita Walking Trail

One in three women, one in six men, and one in two transgender will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. This is just one of the many facts and statistics about sexual assault that was learned at the Teal to Heal Family Walk/Run held at Generations Park Tewatahita Walking Trail last Saturday, April 29th. Walkers registered upon arrival, and were then given a list of questions that only could be found at the booths that were scattered all across the walking trail. Once all questions were answered, walker's names could be entered into a draw. Each time the participants completed a lap, they were also able to enter into a draw. Some of the prizes to be awarded were a stay at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, a Fitbit, movie passes, a one month Heart to Heart Fitness Pass, CKON gift baskets, and much more.

The month of April, and May for the Canadian side, is Sexual Awareness Month and this event was organized to accommodate both of them by holding it at the end of the month. Their goal was to support sexual assault victims while bringing awareness to the agencies in our community and surrounding areas that deal with issues like this. Some of the sponsors and agencies that joined together to put this on were the Three Sisters Program, Seven Dancers Coalition, CKON, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, Akwesasne Child and Family Services, Safe Zone, Holistic Health and Wellness Program, SASS, Stop D.V Malone, Akwesasne Family Wellness Program, Sewakwatho, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Program, Child Advocacy Center, and the Partridge House. By bringing awareness to sexual assault and educating people who may not entirely understand the physical and emotional aspects to what it could possibly entail allows for a step forward in attempting to break the stigma that surrounds this issue. This event brought together many organizations and community members to make it the huge success that it was.