Friends --

This is my second year volunteering for MESA (the Boulder Rape-Crisis Hotline) and participating in their annual fund-raising.  MESA was formed in response to an event in November, 1972 -- two 11-year-old girls were walking home from a birthday party at 12th and Cascade when they were abducted, raped and shot.   One girl survived to tell the story and bring her friend's killer to justice.  MESA was only the 4th Rape Crisis Center in the US at that time and has since served thousands of people in Boulder affected by sexual assault.  The recent Camera cover story on MESA is at http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/jan/23/victims-group-turns-35/.

Research by the CO Dept of Health has shown that as many as 1 in 4 women and 1 in 17 men in Colorado are victims of sexual violence at some time in their lives.  MESA talks with many of these victims who are feeling desperate or in need of information, people close to victims wanting to know how to support them, and to kids in local middle- and high-schools in an effort to educate them to reduce the number of future sexual assaults.

MESA is funded solely through grants, private contributions, and special events like the upcoming Canine Classic 5K/10K Run/Walk. 

Please support MESA by making a donation on my web page http://www.firstgiving.com/edphelps and/or registering for the Canine Classic Sunday, April 13th, 9:00 a.m. at the Boulder Reservoir (call 303.443.0400).  Last year I raised over $1,300 based on your support!

Thank you!

Ed Phelps