Sunday afternoon, a group of about 60 Penn State students took a walk to solidify their stance against child abuse.

The Penn State Walk For Prevention was sponsored by the YMCA of Centre County as well as Darkness to Light (D2L), a non-profit group out of Charleston, S.C, which has a goal to prevent and completely wipe out child abuse. They have taught over 300,000 adults across the country with their Stewards of Children program, which outlines steps to prevent and stop child abuse in its tracks.

James Bodenheimer and Lance Chappelle thought of the idea for a walk of solidarity a few months ago. “We were tired of how our university was being portrayed…It was time for someone to do something,” Bodenheimer said.

The walk began and ended at the Thomas Building. All participants received a blue and white t-shirt for the event that had “Prevention Starts With Me” on the back. Although representatives from D2L and YMCA could not attend the event, Bodenheimer was proud to see the results of the event, which raised over $4,500.