Courtesy Photo | New York Army National Guard Capt. Stephanie Fernandez, Warrant Officer Zachary Smith,...... read more read more
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LATHAM, N.Y. -- A sure sign of spring for the New York National Guard is the annual Sexual Assault Awareness five-kilometer run.
Held in conjunction with other events that make April Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the race is held each year to have fun and raise awareness, explained Chassidy Ryals, the sexual assault response coordinator at New York National Guard headquarters.
At the headquarters, 100 to 150 people normally turn out for the five-kilometer run, which is often held on a trail that runs alongside the Mohawk River.
But getting that many people in one place was clearly a no-go this April because of the social distancing requirements in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
So the decision was made to promote a virtual 5k instead, Ryals explained.
“We still wanted to acknowledge the day, and we wanted to acknowledge the challenges that people are facing and to get them outside and active,” she said.
So she and the other organizers sent e-mails out to Guard members around the state.
People were encouraged to do the 5k run on their own and send in selfies of themselves running.
They didn’t get the 100 that normally turn out, but they did get some, she said.
One of those virtual racers was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jennifer Roshong, who is assigned to New York Army National Guard headquarters.
She took part because she believes in the sexual assault awareness program, Roshong said.
“I think it is important to keep the program alive and active so that victims won’t forget that there is help out there and there are people willing to support them,” Roshong said.
Besides, she added, “I’ve always liked running on my own, with my own pace and in my own world.”
The virtual 5k was a natural for her, Roshong said, but she’s hoping next year the race can be run as a group again.
“More people seem to participate that way,” she added.
Captain Stephanie Fernandez, Colonel Isabel Smith, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ruben Rodriguez, are all currently working at the New York National Guard’s Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill, N.Y. as part pf the COVID-19 response, but they made time to do the virtual 5K as well.
The three, all who say they are passionate runners, ran as a group—staying six feet apart—when they took part in the run.
“This was a good team-building exercise,” Smith said.
Fernandez, the sexual assault response coordinator f or the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, said she ran to show support for the awareness month and to “encourage others to be active during these difficult times.”
Lt. Col. Jason Lefton, the State Aviation Officer and commander of the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, also took part in the virtual run.
He normally runs alone anyway, Lefton said, but he liked the idea of supporting the sexual assault awareness program, and he normally takes part in the annual run anyway.
The events are fun and it is a chance to share an athletic experience with other Soldiers, while supporting a good cause, Lefton explained.
So he took part in the virtual run, for the same reason he turns out for the actual group 5k.
“As a battalion commander, it is important Soldiers know I take this seriously and if they see me participate it will add emphasis to the discussions and information we put out in the unit,” Lefton explained.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2020 14:53 |
| Story ID: | 368426 |
| Location: | LATHAM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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