The COURAGE CLOSET is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual
assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in Northern Virginia. Our
donations help ensure all survivors are treated with dignity, respect,
have access to compassionate medical care, and state of the art
evidence collection. Our founder and leader Liz Sands was kidnapped
and raped on April 17, 1999 at the age of 17. Following her attack,
her family proclaimed April 17th her "Courage Day" , a celebration of
her survival. Her family held a party with family and friends on the
first anniversary of her attack and has celebrated every year since.
The COURAGE DAY 5K AND FUN RUN is held at beautiful Franklin Park in
Western Loudoun County, VA. Franklin Park boasts 200+ acres of rolling
hills and views of the Blue Ridge mountains. This is a trail course,
while not technical it is also not paved. This a family friendly
event! In addition to the 5k, we will also have a Kids fun run and a
Tot Trot! Tot trot is a short sprint and is a free event for toddlers
with an adult registration. We are thrilled to have you join us! We
also have a virtual 5k and fun run option, if you are unable to join
us in person. RACE LOCATION: Franklin Park 17501 Franklin Park Dr
Purcellville, VA 20132 DATE: Sunday, May 18, 2025 EVENT SCHEDULE: 7:45
- race day packet pickup starts 8:45 - Fun Run 9:00 - 5K 10:00 (when
5K is done) - Tot Trot REGISTRATION FEES: 5K: $30 through March 15 $35
until online registration closes on Thursday, April 11 at 8:00 pm $40
through race day (late registration is available during packet pick up
and race day) Fun Run: $15 through Thursday, April 1 at 8:00 pm $20
through race day (during packet pickup and race day) Fun Run
participants will receive a shirt and kid's medal Tot Trot: FREE and
sign up will be on race day and will receive a medal only. PACKET PICK
UP will be at the =PR= Leesburg store on Saturday, April 13 from 2-4
pm, then again on race day, at Franklin Park starting at 7:45 am.
Participants are encouraged to pick up their packet before race day.
Shipping is also an option for Virtual Event option only for a small
fee. AWARDS for the live event will be given to the top 3 overall Male
& Female finishers and the top 3 boys and girls 10 & under. All
proceeds will go directly to The Courage Closet. Visit us on Facebook.
This is our 6th annual 5k, to date the Courage Day 5K is our largest
fundraiser. We have a goal of raising $20,000 from the 5K to support
survivors through the INOVA FACT department. The Inova Ewing Forensic
Assessment and Consultation Teams address the unique needs of abused
children and adults. They offer expert medical evaluation, forensic
evidence collection, and provide expert interpretation based on
training, experience and medical data. The majority of funding for the
department is philanthropic. The department receives very little
reimbursement through the state. Top 5 areas of need: Additional
staffing- with 3 full-time, 4 part-time and 5 PRNs (essentially
"on-call" staff) there is a great need to bring on more providers. Due
to staffing shortages the Cornwall Location (Loudoun County) is not
currently staffed 24/7 - it would cost approximately $115,000/ year to
have a full-time nurse at Cornwall- long term goal is to get this
location staffed full time to ensure patients are not having to travel
to other locations for exams - they can be seen locally and know
support is never too far away. Patient Assistance - this is a broad
category of need, but one that is so vital - from meals for a patient
during their 35-hour exam ($50) to Lyft rides to ensure patients are
able to get to and from appointments/medications/safe places ($250/ 5
rides) to covering the cost of essential HIV medications ($2500) -
this area of need is always growing as the number of cases increases.
Equipment Maintenance - the FACT Department uses Cortexflo technology
during the examination process. There are so many amazing benefits to
this technology and how it allows the providers to complete their
exams more efficiently and as non-intimidating as possible {especially
for children}. However, having the best technology comes at a cost -
one camera costs ~ $20,000-25,000 and the maintenance is
~$10,000-$15,000/year. Team Resiliency - the weight the FACT
nurses/doctors carry on a daily basis is often hard to fully grasp as
they go from one trauma to another. Vicarious trauma {secondary
trauma} is a real concern/issue and has only become worse in recent
years. The increase in both case load and severity has led to an
increase in burnout and low morale. We have been able to provide
funding for team building events/group outings this year and hope to
continue that into 2023. We understand how much mental health matters
and giving this wonderful team opportunities to get together outside
of work is vital. $500 easily covers a team outing/get together.
Professional development - often times continuing
education/professional development opportunities are not part of the
budget, thus becoming a personal expense for an individual. Being able
to help fund opportunities for the team to attend seminars/conferences
that will grow their skill sets and allow them to provide even better
care is essential to the department continuing to be one of the best
in the nation. $1,000 can provide the forensic nurses with a variety
of professional development opportunities.
sports
130
Views
10/07/2025 Last update