Memorial Awareness Walk

Join Students Across the Country to Raise Awareness of Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

Lauren McCluskey, a student-athlete from Pullman, WA, was tragically murdered on the University of Utah campus on October 22, 2018, by a man she briefly dated. Lauren made repeated reports to campus officials, campus police, and city police about continual threats she received from this man after ending their relationship.

By holding a Lauren McCluskey memorial/awareness walk on your campus, you’re being proactive about reaching students, and preparing the next generation of adults to be more prepared to listen, believe, and respond to reports of dating violence and stalking. You’re creating allies in this fight who can help save lives. You’re also helping reach students who may be actively struggling with their own experiences, letting them know they are not alone, and showing them there is a community where they live that care about them and understands their experience. When we empower college students to show up for one another, we create a healthier and more inclusive campus and, ultimately, a more hopeful and supportive society.

When?

The Lauren McCluskey Foundation requests colleges and universities across the U.S. host a memorial/awareness walk during the week of October 16-22, 2022.

Why Walk?

Because we need to change the culture.

43% of women in college who are actively dating claimed that they had been through abusive and/or violent behavior from someone they were dating (Break the Cycle). Nearly 58% of female victims and 49% of male victims experienced stalking before the age of 25. Dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking affect millions of people in the United States each year. Universities and Colleges need to create protective environments by improving organizational policies, school climate, and safety. Victims need to feel supported, listened to, and confident that they will be connected to resources that can help protect them. Hosting a Lauren McCluskey memorial/awareness walk will help raise awareness on your campus and jumpstart meaningful conversations about changing the culture of how reports of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are responded to.

Because students can save lives.
Students are a force for change. Be a part of this walk and join thousands of students across the country to raise awareness of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and encourage improved response to reports.

Because we can improve campus safety
We can improve campus safety and build out better response protocols on college and university campuses. Only 1 in 5 college-age women who are sexually assaulted report the attack to the police. Talking about the assault to strangers can be difficult. The fear of not being heard, believed, and concerned about being protected leads to non-reporting. We must improve how reports are responded to protect victims.

Walk to support a friend; a loved one, yourself, or in memory of a victim.
We all have a reason to walk.

Here are some strategies other students can use to make their own Lauren McCluskey memorial/awareness walks successful!

Engage student groups –Email many clubs/organizations/sororities/fraternities and share our message to the particular group in inviting them to join. The Lauren McCluskey Foundation will share email templates to help get the conversation started.
Regularly post on social media about the walk. Make sure your posts are engaging by sharing photos and asking your followers questions that will get them excited
Reach out to different departments on campus and ask if they would include your walk flyer and a little blurb in their weekly newsletter/emails
Asking professors if you can visit their classroom and speak for 1-3 minutes about the walk
Know about dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on college and university campuses. The Lauren McCluskey Foundation can provide statistics and helpful facts.
Reach out to local businesses to set up sponsors for the walk