April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Fulton's Coalition Against Rape and Domestic Violence is holding an event designed to bring awareness to what is an uncomfortable topic.
At 8:30 a.m. on April 5, CARDV will die the fountain in front of City Hall teal in recognition of the month as part of an "It's Time to Talk About It" community gathering that also will include a proclamation from Mayor LeRoy Benton as well as guest speaker Lt. Andre Cook with the Fulton Police Department.
"It's about getting together and just raising awareness," said Mary Ann Harper-Hulen, CARDV's sexual assault coordinator. "It's really important to continue to talk about it."
Harper-Hulen said CARDV receives 100-159 calls from victims of sexual assault each year, but added that there are many more who either do not call, or who do not bring up the sexual assault until they have been involved in the organization's adult trauma therapy program.
Cook said he has not finished working up exactly what he is going to say, but said there is "always a preventative angle" when working to spread awareness on the topic.
"We'd like the incidents of sexual assault (in Fulton) to be zero," Cook said. "(It's important) to spread awareness to the community about a problem we face not only in our community, but in every community across the United States."