Walk Raises $20K For Advocacy Center

The first-ever CAC Walk raised an estimated $20,000 to $25,000 in cash donations, goods, and services to support the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of Van Zandt County.

The CAC which provides a safe, friendly environment where victims of sexual and physical abuse, child neglect, and child witnesses to violent crimes can tell their stories once, with trained representatives, so they don’t have to appear in court or repeat sometimes-traumatic testimony over and
over again.

Hard rain and threatening weather stayed to the north in Rains and Wood counties on Saturday, June 14, while a gentle, cooling rain fell for a few minutes during the 5K race, which helped the hundred or so runners cool off.

Several hundred fans, family members, and other supporters sheltered under the pavilions at The Arbors on the first Monday grounds, visited, cheered on the 5K runners, the "mosey and sashay" walkers, and the children’s 50-yard-dash
participants, and listened to music by the AARP Angels.

"Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday," said Geane Fellers, forensic interviewer and executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center. "This county must step up now to prevent the consequences of abuse in these children. Drug/alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, eating disorders, and prostitution are just some of the consequences of sexual abuse."

The Children’s Advocacy Center works with law enforcement, Child Protective
Services, the prosecutor’s office, medical and mental health services, the East Texas Crisis Center, and CASA. The videotaped testimony may be admissible in court, thus sparing the child from facing perpetrators.

Major sponsors were Trinity Mother Frances SportsCare, Coca-Cola, Farm Bureau Insurance, Wal-Mart, and True Country 1510 AM radio.

The overall 5K winner was Adam Lindenmuth from Whitehouse; the top women’s
finisher was Heather Sterling from Canton, who finished fifth overall. Both will enter 10th grade this fall.

Here are the top 25 finishers with their times:

1. Adam Lindenmuth 18:52
2. Cody Brown 19:38
3. Ethan Fields 19:45
4. C.J. Stafford 20:33
5. Heather Sterling 21:17
6. Chris Davis 21:44
7. Casey Kindle 21:49
8. BrianVajcner 22:11
9. Steven Stapelton 22:49
10. Kyle Butt 23:15
11. Taylor Bane 23:31
12. Matthew Smiley 23:48
13. Paul Fike 24:09
14. Kristina Gilbert 24:18
15. Sarah Hensley 25:31 16. Tanner Essary 25:33
17. Bryan Cantrell 25:53
18. Taylor Rogers 25:56
19. Gene Myers 26:21
20. Adam Piper 26:22
21. Stanley House 26:26
22. Wayne Halemano 26:27
23. Mandy Roberts 27:22
24. Alec Votion 27:33
25. Kelly Sterling 27:43

The next CAC Walk is scheduled for June 13, 2009.