Staff Report

WINONA LAKE — The “An Evening with Elizabeth Smart” event, which was originally scheduled for April 23, has been rescheduled to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8.

Elizabeth Smart

Smart’s presentation in Winona Lake was delayed due to county and state guideline precautions for social distancing for the COVID-19 virus.

All existing tickets will be honored at the rescheduled event. Those who have pre-purchased Smart’s book “Where There’s Hope” can still pick up their books at the October event.

Three local non-profit organizations — Joe’s Kids, The Baker Youth Club and Court Appointed Special Advocate of Kosciusko County — are hosting the event. The Kosciusko County Community Foundation and K21 Health Foundation are funding the event.

The abduction of Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases in memory. She was abducted on June 5, 2002, and her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her and her family if she tried to escape. Fortunately, the police safely returned her back to her family on March 12, 2003, after being held prisoner for nine months.

Through this traumatic experience, Smart has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs and national legislation. Smart triumphantly testified before her captor and the world about the very private nightmare she suffered during her abduction, which led to a conviction.

The founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Smart has also helped promote The National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions.