History

Take Back the Night was first held in Germany in 1973 in response to a series of sexual assaults and murders. Five years later, the first event was held in the United States.

This march offers an opportunity for survivors of abuse to join with others of all races, cultures, background and experiences to combine the strength of their voices to declare an end to violence.

Take Back the Night is critical to Will Country's overall commitment to raising awareness about violence against women and the tragedies it creates. As with every year, the committee's plan is to greatly increase participation in the event and bring attention to the unfortunate victims of violence.

Since 1996, Will County Take Back The Night has provided support and services for crime victims throughout the Joliet/Will County, Illinois area.

Each year, the event includes:

A speaker
Entertainment
A brief march, and
An information table with materials from organizations involved in helping victims of violence

Will County Take Back the Night
Year/Location	Chairperson	Speaker
1997 Bicentennial Park	Sue O'Shaughnessy Will County N.O.W.	N/A
1998 University of St. Francis	Lora McGuire JJC Nursing Professor	JJC Players
1999 Joliet West High School	Beth Gorski Will County Child Advocacy Center	Merri Dee WGN-TV
2000 Joliet West High School	Latrina Blair Will County State's Attorney's Office	Denise Brown Nicole Brown's Sister
2001 Joliet Central High School	Beth Ann May Will County Circuit Clerk's Office	Lisa Madigan Illinois Attorney General
2002 Joliet West High School	Mardi Wunderlich Joliet Police Dept.	Lester Munson Sports Illustrated
2003 Joliet Catholic Academy	Joy Alwan Will County Women's Bar Assoc.	Lisa Madigan Illinois Attorney General
2004 Hufford Jr. High School	Jan Larsen Herald-News	Vicki Coffey Chicago Abused Women Coalition
2005 Joliet Township High School	Yolanda Reyes Will County Legal Assistance	Terri Jandusa Nicolai Victim Turned Advocate
2006 Joliet West High School	Denise Payton Will County CASA	Vicki Crompton Teen Dating Violence Advocate
2007 Joliet West High School	Jean Mandeville Lamb's Fold	Human Trafficking: A Crime of Violence Against Women
2008 Joliet West High School	Carrie Jo Claussen Groundwork	Diane Wetendorf An Abuse of Power
2009 Bicentennial Park	Jodi Wartenberg Groundwork	Art Moore StandUp - Illinois Center for Violence Prevention