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First Lady Completes 600-Mile, Six-Month Walk For Child Abuse Victims

4/13/2005

First Lady Andrea Conte, Governor Phil Bredesen, and registered "AndreaWalks" participants celebrated the last leg of First Lady Conte's statewide walk for children with a victory lap around the Bristol Motor Speedway today.

The walk in Bristol on Wednesday, April 13, marked the last community portion of "Andrea Walks for Tennessee's Children," First Lady Conte's walk across the state to raise awareness about the problem of child abuse and to raise $1 million for 27 nonprofit organizations that help children who have experienced sexual or severe physical abuse in Tennessee.

Starting at the Sullivan County Child Advocacy Center in Blountville, the First Couple and "AndreaWalkers" representing Sullivan County walked the last 5.5 miles to the Bristol Motor Speedway. They were greeted by dozens of local supporters and the release of hundreds of red and yellow balloons, signaling the First Lady had reached the "finish line" of her statewide walk.

"One year ago today I announced a new initiative called 'Andrea Walks for Tennessee Children' that I was taking on to engage Tennesseans on the issue of child sexual abuse and to raise money for the organizations that offer treatment and support to child abuse victims," said Conte. "The journey was long, but every step we took was one step closer to reaching our goals. We have truly sent the message that we value our state's greatest resource, our children, and that we are committed to protecting them."

More than 2,000 Tennesseans joined Conte during "AndreaWalks," whether they walked a few steps, one mile or 50 miles. Conte's journey across the state took her through 30 counties, an average of three to four communities each day. While the trek covered many Tennessee landscapes, one constant of the entire walk has been strong community support and involvement, especially among children. Along the way, Conte had the opportunity to visit with children at 100 schools and childcare centers, where she spread the message about abuse to children.

"One of the best surprises I encountered during 'AndreaWalks' was the number of children who really understood what I was walking for, and decided to contribute on their own," Conte said. "Every time I visited with children, I was amazed by the creativity and compassion they put into showing their support for the walk. Some children put on programs, others sang or danced or marched. Some created colorful handmade signs with encouraging messages. Most of all, I was overwhelmed by the eagerness many of these children had for giving, even if it was only a handful of coins, when they had so little to spare."

Other examples of Tennessee's broad involvement in "AndreaWalks" includes the number of people, businesses and other nonprofit organizations that sponsored the walk, among them HCA and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the platinum level statewide sponsors of "AndreaWalks." A complete list of statewide sponsors can be viewed at http://www.andreawalks.com/sponsors.htm.

"These people and organizations have shown that they care about Tennessee's children," Conte said. "I can't thank all of our sponsors enough for joining us in our efforts to raise awareness about child abuse in communities across the state."

Conte also acknowledged several Tennessee prisons for their support of "AndreaWalks." A number of inmates at correctional facilities held their own marathons in honor of "AndreaWalks" while others donated hand-crafted toys and quilts for the waiting rooms of Child Advocacy Centers.

Governor Bredesen joined Conte today to walk the final few miles leading to the finish line in Bristol and to celebrate the end of the statewide walk. Bredesen joined Conte in September 2004 in Memphis, where she launched her journey to each of Tennessee's 25 Child Advocacy Centers, and then joined her again in Nashville when the First Lady was nearing the half-way point of the walk.

"It's hard to believe just seven months ago, we all stood together near the shore of the Mississippi on the verge of a great adventure through some of the most beautiful country on this earth. Six-hundred miles later, I'm proud to be with all of you again as you complete the journey," Bredesen said. "You've done an outstanding job raising awareness about child abuse and about the work these nonprofit organizations do to help child abuse victims. We know these centers do good work. Now, we must make sure their knowledge and compassion and spirit of community is available and accessible to everyone who needs it in our state."

A longtime advocate for victims' rights issues, Conte made promoting and providing support for the state's child advocacy centers a priority issue when she became First Lady of Tennessee in 2003. In April 2004, Conte announced "Andrea Walks for Tennessee's Children." Conte said she wanted to find a way to highlight the problem of child sexual abuse. She wanted Tennesseans to know that child sexual abuse is a problem, it is prevalent in Tennessee and it is underreported. Conte also wanted to promote the work the state's child advocacy centers are doing to help child victims of sexual or severe physical abuse.

Child Advocacy Centers offer a comprehensive approach to providing services for child victims of sexual or severe physical abuse and their families, fostering community partnerships among professionals in law enforcement, criminal justice, child and family counseling, and victim's advocacy dedicated to pursuing the truth in child abuse investigations.

Conte now heads to Nashville, where she will continue to raise money for "Andrea Walks for Tennessee' Children" by participating in the Country Music Marathon and ½ Marathon. Conte announced earlier this year that AndreaWalks will be partnering with Nashville's County Music MarathonT & ½ Marathon on April 30 to raise additional funds for child advocacy. "AndreaWalkers" participating in this year's Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon will receive an invitation to the AndreaWalks post-marathon party and auction, and will receive free admission to the Phil Vassar concert that evening.

The Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon is produced by Elite Racing, Inc. The annual event attracts over 17,000 runners and 100,000 spectators. In addition, the race receives extensive national, regional and local media coverage and is taped to broadcast regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast and nationally on Fox Sports Net. To learn more about the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon, visit www.cmmarathon.com.

For more information about "Andrea Walks for Tennessee's Children" visit www.AndreaWalks.com.