Each pinwheel represents a child who was reported as the victim of abuse or neglect in Tift County in 2018.

TIFTON — Nearly 500 colorful pinwheels were placed on the lawn in front of the Tift County Recreation Department swimming pool Apr. 3 for the 2019 “A Voice For All Children” Pinwheel Ceremony. Each pinwheel represents a child in Tift County who was a victim of abuse or neglect during 2018.

The ceremony, which is hosted by the Tift County Council on Child Abuse, seeks to bring awareness to child abuse and its victims.

Tift County Commission for Children and Youth Director Lillie McEntyre said that this is the smallest number of pinwheels they’ve put out, meaning the numbers of reports has decreased.

The number of reported cases in 2016 was 567 and the number for 2017 was 586. The exact number for 2018 was 498.

She said that this was also the largest number of ceremony attendees.

“I guess we know why our numbers are down,” she said. She said that she tracked cases of reported child abuse and neglect back to 2008.

“We found ourselves in a predicament in Tift County,” she said. “We were one of the top five in the state, not because we had so little child abuse, but because we had so much. As a community, we came together. We decided that this is our challenge, and we’re going to accept the challenge and the children will win.”

The keynote speaker was Alexia Tanner from Wholistic Therapeutic Services.

Tanner works with victims of trauma and said that the community needs to be advocates for children who can’t protect themselves. She gave attendees various ways to support and help those who are currently or have been victims of abuse.

She suggested listening to and believing children when they talk, looking beyond bad behavior to the underlying reasons for it, teaching children the correct names for their bodies and teaching them the difference between safe secrets and unsafe secrets.

Tanner also spoke about taking away the shame and stigma of being a victim of abuse.

Tanner said that each child was like a pinwheel and that support was like the wind that makes them soar.

The Tift County Council on Child Abuse is staffed mostly by volunteers who believe that child abuse has no place in the community.

Anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected should call the Department of Family and Children Services at  229-386-3388.

Beth Lewis  from the TCCCA reminded everyone about the Blue Ribbon Campaign.

The Blue Ribbon Campaign was started in 1989 by a grandmother from Virginia as a tribute to her grandson, a three-year-old who died at the hands of his mother’s abusive boyfriend.

Supporters are invited to wear blue on Apr. 5 as well as to purchase a blue ribbon to display throughout the year.

The blue ribbons can be purchased and displayed on doors and entrances to show support for the fight against child abuse.

The ribbons are $20 and may be purchased from any member of The Child Abuse Council or by calling 229-382-5172 or 229-388-1000.

All proceeds go to providing prevention and awareness programs in the community.