Amanda Friar

Editor-in-Chief

Pinwheels were whirring and spinning as a part of a statewide event in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month last Friday. One thousand of the 4,000 pinwheels that were distributed statewide were planted throughout Mesa County as a part of the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.

“The pinwheels represent our commitment to try to make sure that every child grows up happy, healthy and secure,” Kendra Dunn, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Colorado, said. “They reflect the positive aspects of childhood. They’re whimsical, happy, and they make people smile.”

Sigma Tau Delta and Grand Junction RotarACT joined forces with Prevent Child Abuse Colorado to bring the pinwheel farm to Mesa State in hopes of bringing awareness to child abuse in Colorado. The pinwheels were planted outside ACB, as well as handed out to students passing by, in hopes to stop something terrible from happening before it’s too late.

“We have to get it early,” Jason Franklin, vice president for Sigma Tau Delta, said. “Ninety-nine percent of abuse happens with normal people. If children are safer and healthier then everyone wins.”

There were 250 total pinwheels, as well as handed out to students and at Saturday’s event at Canyonview Park. The Day in the Park was hosted to continue bringing awareness to child abuse. Sigma Tau Delta was present to play with kids and enjoy a day in the park along with Prevent Child Abuse Colorado. 

This is the first year that the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign came to Colorado, but it has had great success with 15 counties participating in the event. Dunn attributes this to the fact that it becomes a community problem.

“We’re trying to spread the knowledge that it’s a community problem that requires a community response,” Dunn said. “We don’t need to wait until something bad happens. We all need to care about the children of our community.”

Prevent Child abuse America has estimated that implementing policies and strategies to help prevent child abuse can save taxpayers $104 billion a year, while the cost of not doing anything includes more than $33 billion in direct costs for things such as foster care services, hospitalization, mental health treatment and law enforcement.

For more information on Pinwheels for Prevention visit www.pinwheelsforprevention.org and Prevent Child Abuse Colorado visit www.preventchildabuecolorado.org.