By Ashley Wilson | Rise Above Violence
The 30-day Push-Up Challenge will launch April 1. Rise Above Violence, for the 10th year, is hosting the Push-Up Challenge during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Over the last two years, the challenge has taken on a new life as a 30-day challenge that people can do on their own time, from wherever they are. Registration for the event is $25, which covers your shirt and access to the tracking app to count all of the push-ups you complete.
For those who 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 United States, which equals 1,271 every day or 38,130 represents the number of victims in the 30 days of April.
That statistic is from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and has changed from 2022. In 2022 it was every 73 seconds. What difference does 5 seconds make? It means 2,640 more people that will experience sexual violence in the month of April. The problem is not slowing or stopping. Every nine minutes, that victim is a child. That is 160 children every day who will experience sexual violence.
According to RAINN, “Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.”
You can be part of the solution. Awareness plus actions equals social change. We can be the change that move this number, that make it smaller. As a participant you can commit to any number of push-ups you can complete each day 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 on our website, 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.
On April 1 our launch party will be held at CrossFit Pagosa at 10:30 a.m., where you can get registered, learn how to use the fundraising platform and the app, and have a coach check your form to ensure a successful month of push-ups. 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. We have a sponsor that will be supporting the challenge with $1 for every toe push-up completed. This will be a great way to kick start the fundraising.
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 wears the best costume while doing push-ups, 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.
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 we have 32 challengers do 40 push-ups per day, we will hit the goal of 38,130.
Upcoming dates
to remember
April 1, 10:30 a.m.: Push-Up Challenge Launch Party at CrossFit Pagosa (10:30 a.m. registration, 11 a.m. blitz).
April 4: Wear teal day.
April 26, noon: Denim Day Walk. Meet at the bell tower.
Rise Above Violence is a nonprofit organization which 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.
