Smart to speak at Lafayette church

Elizabeth Smart, the Utah teen who was kidnapped and held prisoner for more than nine months by her abductors, will speak at Our Savior’s Church in Lafayette May 2.

“She is a living miracle,” said Natalie Johnson, marketing and events coordinator for the Hearts of Hope organization in Lafayette. “Her story is so powerful and encouraging. People who are kidnapped usually never get away from their abductors, and her advocacy work ties into our mission to help those affected by the trauma of sexual violence in our community through education, advocacy and empowerment.”

Smart’s speaking engagement coincides with national sexual assault awareness and child abuse prevention month, and Hearts of Hope, which has provided support to victims of sexual violence for more than 50 years, invited the young lady to share her story with those in the community.

“Elizabeth’s example and life now are a daily demonstration that there really is life after a tragic event,” Johnson said. “Her speech not only tells her story, but also discusses topics such as overcoming extreme adversity and not allowing your past to dictate your life’s future.”

Smart was abducted from her parent’s home in June of 2002, and her captors threated to kill her and her family if she tried to escape. During the nine months she was held prisoner, Smart was repeatedly raped by one of her captors. Authorities finally tracked down her abductors, and Smart was reunited with her family in March 2003.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $50 and can be purchased online at www.theheartsofhope.org. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Hearts of Hope’s Children’s Advocacy Center, Sexual Abuse Response Center and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners programs.

Since then, the young woman has bounced back from her ordeal, traveling and speaking as an advocate for changes to child abduction procedures and recovery programs and national legislation. She has also founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and has helped to promote the National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and other legislation to help prevent abductions.

“She is a great advocate, helping to bring awareness,” Johnson said. “We were looking for someone to help educate locally, and we reached out to her foundation. Her team is phenomenal, and the event only took about two weeks to get together. When she learned of our mission here at Hearts of Hope, she agreed to speak.”

“Women need to speak up and not be afraid if they are suffering this kind of abuse,” she continued. “From the videos I have seen of her other speaking engagements, she talks about her abduction, what she went through while being held captive and steps that people can take to prevent these crimes.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $50 and can be purchased online at www.theheartsofhope.org. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Hearts of Hope’s Children’s Advocacy Center, Sexual Abuse Response Center and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners programs.