Hargitay praises Day One's work, victim's courage/ Photo
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PROVIDENCE -- Her name is Cindy and nearly 30 years ago, she was walking home from college in Providence when someone grabbed her from behind. The stranger tackled her and dragged her into the bushes, where he tore off her clothes and raped her. And then he tried to club her to death with rocks. The 20-year-old woman barely escaped with her life. And when she was brought to the hospital, a doctor called upon a new place to help this young rape victim. It was the Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center of Rhode Island, now known as "Day One," a phrase meant to signal the moment that sexual assault victims start their lives as survivors. The center began 35 years ago as a place to advocate for sexual assault victims of all ages, to educate the public about the crimes, and work toward prevention. Just last year alone, Day One provided services for 14,000 people. Nearly 75 percent of the sexual assault victims seen by Day One are children. Back in 1973, when the center was formed, the atmosphere was different for victims, who were sometimes dismissed, shamed, or blamed for the crimes. The center was established to change that. Cindy still remembers how the advocate sat with her and talked to her and her family about what to expect -- how she'd be afraid to sleep without the lights on, and what to expect from the justice system. She remembers the kindness of the Providence police officers, who ultimately caught her assailant. She remembers the justice she found in the courts, who sentenced the 16-year-old boy who'd attacked her to six years in prison. Above all, Cindy remembers the never-flagging compassion and help from the center's advocates. "At no point in time did they leave my side, or my family's side," she said today, outside a fundraiser luncheon held at the Westin Hotel to commemorate Day One's 35 year anniversary. So when Day One asked if she'd be willing to speak in a video for the agency, Cindy said she never hesitated. The center had enabled both her and her family to deal with the trauma and heal, she said. She asked that her last name and out-of-state residence not be identified in the media; she still fears her attacker will find her. But as her husband stood nearby in a hallway outside the ballroom, Cindy spoke with strength as she related how the attack had changed her life. "Believe in yourself. Make every moment count. Don't wait," she said. "Because you never know when it can be taken away from you." She was among 400 people who attended today's $125-a-plate fundraiser luncheon. About 100 people also purchased $500 tickets for a private reception and photo with the event's keynote speaker, actress Mariska Hargitay, who plays sex-crimes detective Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order Special Victims Unit. Hargitay was invited because her role on the TV show has given visibility to victims of sexual assault, and as president and founder of the Joyful Heart Foundation, which aids sexual assault victims through dolphin-human therapy. Hargitay did not allow the media to photograph or videotape her speech, and she requested to approve media photos taken of her before the event. Two young men who are fans of the show were turned away by the police when they sought Hargitay's autograph. As Hargitay spoke to the crowd inside the Westin ballroom, she appeared to choke up with tears as she recalled the letters from fans of the TV show who told her that they had been sexually assaulted but were afraid to seek help. (Peg Langhammer, Day One's executive director, says that although statistics show that one in eight Rhode Island women are sexually assaulted, it's estimated that more than 74 percent of sexual assaults are never reported to the police.) Hargitay said that the letters from victims, coupled with her own trauma of the death of her mother, Jayne Mansfield, who was killed in a car crash when Hargitay was three, and a life-changing car crash at 34 motivated her to eventually form the Joyful Heart Foundation. She praised the work of Day One, and the courage of Cindy, who attended the event with her family. 
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I have no words to express the admiration I feel about Mariska Hargitay. That woman is an angel humanitarian radiating love and tenderness. Ah! if all celebrities had the generous heart and soul of noble Mariska.Minha mother said that the more you do the more it becomes beautiful. That's why I look for Mariska and I see each day more beautiful
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oh. mariska is such a wonderful woman. i look up to her so much. i'm so glad she spoke at this luncheon. i wish i could have been there. i admire her for her work on helping survivors of sexual assault. the joyful heart foundation is a great cause. I would love to take part in this foundation when i'm older, helping women through their trauma. God bless Mariska Hargitay!
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I attended this luncheon and was so excited to finally meet my hero in person. Mariska is the most beautiful, compassionate and inspiring person. I was so honored just to shake her hand. Listening to her speak about her mother and her life was very moving and brought tears to my eyes. I will remember this day for the rest of my life.
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If Mariska Hargitay had no face she would still be beautiful.....because beauty is in what you are and what you do and she does it all. God Bless her.
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