By Media Relations Department
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office

The Chickasaw Nation Office of Violence Prevention is hosting a Sexual Assault Awareness Walk from 9 to 11 a.m. Sat. April 4, at Wintersmith Park, in Ada, Okla.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness month. To help raise awareness, the Office of Violence Prevention is inviting everyone to come out and join in a group walk in the park.

The walk will include awareness booths set up for attendees to receive information on sexual assault programs and will include a keynote speaker giving a statistical presentation before the walk commences around Wintersmith Park.

National and State statistics show:

• Every two minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.
• One in three Native American women suffers sexual assault during their lifetime.
• 60 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
• Sexual assault programs in the state of Oklahoma served over 8,000 people in 2008.
• Oklahoma reported more then 1,500 rapes of adult women in 2008.
• Oklahoma reported more then 1000 children as victims of sexual assault in 2008.

For more information on the event or sexual assault programs contact the Chickasaw Nation Office of Violence Prevention (580) 272-5550. For additional programs statewide contact the Oklahoma Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-522-SAFE (7233).