Participants of Lauren’s Kids annual Walk in My Shoes 1,500-mile trek across Florida. Photo courtesy of Lauren’s Kids
This April, in honor of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Lauren’s Kids will embark on its eleventh annual Walk in My Shoes 1,500-mile trek across Florida.
Beginning in Key West March 31 and concluding in Tallahassee May 1, Lauren’s Kids founder and CEO and former Florida State Senator Lauren Book will lead the month-long journey, walking up to 25 miles each day. The walk will stop in Naples April 7.
This year, Lauren’s Kids is launching The Voices Project, an oral storytelling initiative to amplify and preserve the voices of survivors. Throughout April, a mobile recording unit will capture anonymous audio recordings from survivors before daily walks. Those who wish to participate in-person can sign up at laurenskidswalk.org.
Survivors everywhere are invited to submit audio recordings of up to five minutes by emailing voices@laurenskids.org. Recordings will become part of a growing digital archive focused on awareness, education, and survivor empowerment.
Community members can register to walk and to participate in The Voices Project at LaurensKidsWalk.org. Once the Walk begins, livestream updates and daily photos will be available on the website.