Bowl-a-thon hosted by Sexual Assault Prevention office Published Feb. 18, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Erica Crossen 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Illinois -- The Scott AFB Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office hosted a Bowl-a-thon at the Stars and Strikes Bowling Center Feb. 12 as a platform to spread awareness and have a team activity for all to participate in. The groups bowled away at this first-time event, and nearly every lane was full. The SAPR office goal is to get the message out more often and by different methods, such as hosting fun and informative events. Pamela Dorsey, 375th AMW Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, said, "In the past the majority of events the SAPR office holds came during SAPR month, which is in April. We're aiming to keep the message of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention year-round. The message focus of the bowl-a-thon is 'Healthy Relationships Matter.'" A Bowl-a-thon is only one facet of having effective outreach to the community, and Scott can expect to see a variety of events like this to encourage awareness. The Department of Defense theme this year is "Eliminate Sexual Assault: Know your part, do your part!" A future bowl-a-thon is being planned for later this year because of the success of this event. Dorsey said another outreach option comes in the form of guest speakers who are survivors themselves, both men and women, sharing their stories so people know that this is very much a real issue. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office helps to ensure quality of life for victims of crimes of sexual assault. This is a DoD-wide program that offers restricted reporting where the victim's confidentiality is maintained and there is no investigation, or unrestricted reporting where the SA case is investigated by law enforcement agencies. The SAPR office also assigns a victim advocate who is trained to support the victim by providing referral information about on-base and off-base helping agency services, to include medical, legal and crisis intervention. The SAPR office serves as the single point of accountability for Department of Defense sexual assault policy. The Scott SAPR office offers guidance and support for victims of sexual assault, unit commanders, first responders and those who wish to prevent or respond to sexual assault crimes.