Join the VIP Center and SPARC to Take Back the Night

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 24, 2017) — The University of Kentucky will join the Take Back the Night 2017 movement with a march and rally on Wednesday, April 26. Campus and the greater Lexington community is invited to join the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center’s peer advocate group, SPARC (Support|Peer|Activism|Resources|Connection), as they celebrate the resiliency of survivors at this year’s Take Back the Night.

SPARC is a group of dedicated peer advocates engaged in advocacy and activism around issues of interpersonal violence on UK’s campus.

Take Back the Night is an annual international event with the mission of ending sexual and gender-based violence in all of its forms. This movement aims to reclaim the night by uniting together to support survivors of sexual assault and ignite cultural change.

Participants are invited to meet at one of the march-launch sites, the Fayette Circuit Courthouse (120 North Limestone St.) or the William T. Young Library (401 Hilltop Ave.). The marches will begin at 4 p.m. and will lead everyone to the Memorial Hall amphitheater (610 South Limestone) where a rally will be held.

Parking can be found on Main Street in several parking garages, as well as on the street. Additionally, there is a pay lot available next to the William T. Young Library.

During the event participants will march through campus and the Lexington community, have a chance to participate in the #ConsentCulture pledge and engage in a speak-out session to support survivors. Founding member of the University of Cincinnati’s Student for Survivors group, Grace Cunningham, will also address the crowd and speak about supporting survivors and igniting cultural change.

If you would like to anonymously submit your story to be read at Take Back the Night, you may do so here: https://goo.gl/8TNNnQ.

Take Back the Night has become a traditional event in communities around the world to protest sexual assault. It began over 30 years ago in a few cities and is observed now in hundreds of cities, towns and college campuses.

For more information, please contact the VIP Center at vipcenter@uky.edu.