This weekend, a newly formed child advocacy organization spearheaded by Taylorites is inviting families to a morning of exercise, giveaways, information booths, live music, kid’s activities and lunch—all completely free of charge And while organizers promise fun for all ages, the point is to address the serious problem of childhood sexual abuse and to provide information on where families can get help and support.
The first ever “Break the Silence 3K Walk/Run and Kid’s Fun Run,” which is organized under the umbrella of the Williamson County Childrens’ Advocacy Center, will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, in Murphy Park, featuring live music performances, food, a bounce house, as well as speakers and booths from the city and county’s victims’ units, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, and Hope Alliance, with resources and information on childhood sexual assault.
“The whole event is free, and the reason for this is sexual abuse of children also happens in low-income families,” said Isabella Tebeau one of the event’s organizers and a founder of Break the Silence, a newly forming nonprofit. “And those people also need to be there to hear that to see ‘Hey, there is help, and hey, speak up.’” Registration for the run will begin at 7 a.m., and participants will receive a free t-shirt while supplies last, with the run beginning at 8:25 a.m. In addition, there will be a bingo card that attendees can fill out by visiting different information booths for the chance at winning a variety of giveaways, including Amazon gift cards, gift baskets from local businesses and much more.
“Please come, and please plan to stay,” Tebeau wrote on the group’s Facebook page. “There is a lot of fun, a lot to learn, and a lot of wonderful things to win. We will feed you. We will entertain you, and we will send you home with information on how to keep our children safe. Oh, and did I mention giveaways?”
Local musicians Ryan Dale, Brother Stone and Kelley McRae will also be performing throughout the day, organizers said.
In addition, there will be speakers, including Marcus Reese, a Taylor native, survivor and cofounder of the Break the Silence project, as well as Amy Gonzalez, who will talk about internet safety.
Reese said organizations will be on hand to offer support to victims as well.
“We wanted to make sure we had people there that they could speak to the day of the event,” he said. “For me, I can never take my survivor hat off, so when I talk to people and hear their stories, I navigate everything from that place... It’s isolating, and so you feel that no one can relate to you, that something is wrong. You feel like help is too far out of reach, and so that is reinforced when no one is talking about it. And so, to have an event like this … to have this many people come out in numbers like this, is to provide comfort, just to say ‘Hey, you are not alone. There are people in the community.’” For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ groups/5837502106331613.
