Survivor, former state senator walks 1,500 miles to raise awareness for sexual assault

‘Walk in My Shoes’ to journey through Central Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – To advocate for victims of sexual assault, one woman is walking the entire state of Florida.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and statistics show that someone in the United States is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds.

Lauren Book, a former state senator from South Florida, is one of the 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the U.S. She started the non-profit Lauren’s Kids to educate adults and children about sexual abuse prevention.

Lauren Book, a former State Senator from South Florida, is one of the 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the U.S. She started the non-profit Lauren's Kids to educate adults and children about sexual abuse prevention. (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

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“It’s important to know that one in three girls and one in five boys may become the victim of child sexual abuse before their 18th birthday. However, 95 percent of abuse is preventable with education and awareness,” Book said.

To continue raising awareness and pushing for change in the state capitol, she started “Walk in My Shoes.” The 1,500-mile journey runs from Key West to Tallahassee, highlighting the importance of being aware of the signs of child abuse and knowing the resources available for victims.

“Every mile brings a message of hope, healing, and recovery. It’s a special time,” Book said. “It feels crazy. I didn’t think I would be able to do some of the miles that we’ve put in thus far, but we keep on keeping on.”

She stops by communities along the way, partnering with local groups to highlight the services available. On Thursday, they passed through Daytona Beach. News 6 spoke with community leaders there about the importance of the walk.

“These are difficult things to talk about. Not a lot of people are comfortable talking about them, but it has to be talked about if we want to end sexual violence and child sexual abuse,” said Erin Shannon, Sexual Assault Services Coordinator at the Family Life Center.

"Walk In My Shoes" (Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Sheriff Mike Chitwood of Volusia County was also at the walk, showing support for survivors.

“If you’re a victim of sexual assault or child sexual abuse and you don’t want to go near law enforcement, I get it. But you can turn to these folks and they’ll get you everything you need,” he said.

They are about halfway to Tallahassee, where Book says they will advocate for the passage of more laws protecting children in Florida. They will stop in Orlando at the Victim Service Center on Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

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