Pinwheels make point about child abuse

Pinwheels representing 209 Douglas County children who were abused or neglected in 2006 spun in the morning breeze in front of the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center on Friday.

About 25 people - children and adults - came to help plant the patriotic-colored pinwheels in the lawn and hang a sign, hoping to create increased awareness of the problem.

"We are planting 209 pinwheels because there were 209 reports of child abuse and neglect in Douglas County," said Family Support Council director Kelli Johnson. "But, there were 20,000 reports statewide, according to the Department of Health and Human Services."

Pinwheels for Prevention was adopted in the state of Nevada this year. Throughout the month of April, across the state, 11 counties are planting the pinwheels in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month. This effort is funded through state Child Abuse Prevention dollars and the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization, along with family resource centers like the Family Support Council.

Carson City planted 422 pinwheels, Thursday, on the lawn of the Nevada State Legislature. In all, more than 15,000 pinwheels are being planted statewide, representing the number of investigated reports in the state last year.

Events like the pinwheel display aid the Family Support Council by drawing attention to it. Family Support Council victims' advocate Orita Keebaugh said the council exists on grants, fundraisers and donations.

"The worst part of it is, in all of Douglas County we have three full-time and one part-time person doing domestic violence and sexual assault, and we're losing that one part-time person," said Keebaugh.

Representatives from the Family Support Council, Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Carson Valley Children's Center, the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center and private citizens took part in planting pinwheels at the Gardnerville museum.

Sue Knight, a Genoa resident who teaches a class at Western Nevada Community College in Carson City for instructors of exceptional children, came to show her support for child abuse prevention.

"The hardest thing for teachers to recognize is emotional abuse," Knight said. "I work with the teachers to recognize it and report."

"It's upsetting to me that there's 209 cases in Douglas County," she said.

Cars driving by honked at the group as they placed their red, blue and silver pinwheels.

Three employees of the Greater Nevada Credit Union in Minden, Cary Arthur, Linda Bratton and Pat Wallace, said their company pays each of its 11 employees to spend two hours a month volunteering for one of 30 organizations during work hours.

"We just picked the Family Support Council," said Bratton.

This is true of all 300-plus employees of the credit union in Northern Nevada, they said.

Ella Dillwith, 7, was one of the children who came to help.

"I'm here to represent child abuse, to make people think about little children," she said.

Details:

The pinwheel display is just one event the Family Support Council has planned for the month of April, in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month:

-- 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Carson Valley United Methodist Church will be a free parent and community presentation by Dr. Ann Corwin regarding children, violence and bullying. For information call Family Support Council, 782-8692.

-- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Genoa Lakes Golf Resort will be a professional seminar with Dr. Ann Corwin who will discuss child development, bullying and related topics. The cost is $75, which includes lunch. Continuing Education Units are available. For information call Family Support Council, 782-8692.

-- 5 p.m. to midnight April 21 at Sharkey's Casino a Sadie Hawkins fundraiser and bachelor auction to raise money for the Family Support Council and child abuse prevention will be presented by Sharkey's and the High Sierra Thong Snappers. The cost, $25 single or $45 couple, includes a western barbecue and dancing to live entertainment by Robin Turley, the auction of 10 bachelors for a date, ages 20-60, a raffle and door prizes. For more information call FSC, 782-8692, or Patty Manning of the High Sierra Thong Snappers, 246-9630.