Provided
This April, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, the region's leading resource to help prevent child abuse, is raising awareness in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. More than 11,000 children are abused in Charleston and Berkeley counties every year. Dee Norton will be holding events all month long to spread awareness and share tips to prevent child abuse from happening.
“At Dee Norton, we treat over 1,500 children every year who are victims of abuse,” Dr. Carole Swiecicki, executive director and CEO of Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center said. “Children can and do heal from abuse, but if we can prevent that abuse from ever happening, we can make our community a better place. Child abuse is an adult problem. Throughout the month of April, we hope to educate adults on how to prevent abuse from happening to the children in their lives.”
Local Pinwheel Cities
The pinwheel is the national symbol of child abuse prevention – a whimsical reminder of the happy, healthy childhoods we want for all children. Throughout April, pinwheel gardens will serve as a reminder of child abuse and how everyone can help prevent abuse from happening. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie will declare their respective jurisdictions as Pinwheel Cities at press conferences in April. The cities signed on with the Children's Trust of SC in support of its efforts to raise awareness for child abuse prevention across our state.
Wear Blue Day
On Friday, April 5th, individuals and organizations across the nation will bond together to make a visible commitment to preventing child abuse by wearing blue. Join Dee Norton by taking a picture and sharing on social media using the #WearBlue hashtag.
Community Events
Dee Norton will also be raising awareness about the issue of child abuse through hosting family-friendly events during the month of April.
Movie Night at MUSC Health Stadium
- What: Free family movie night
- When: Friday, April 5th; Gates open: 6 pm, Movie starts: 7 pm
- Where: MUSC Health Stadium, 1990 Daniel Island Drive
- Details: This free is a family-friendly event includes games and activities, face painting, a balloon artist, food trucks, arts and crafts activities for children, information for parents and much more! This year's feature film is “101 Dalmatians.” Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Stop by Dee Norton's booth at your local farmers market for free informational handouts.
- Charleston Farmers Market: Saturday, April 13th; 8 am – 2 pm
- Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market: Tuesday, April 23rd; 3:30 pm – 7 pm
To learn more about how you can help prevent child abuse, visit www.deenortoncenter.org.
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Press Release
