Published: April 10, 2008 02:29 pm      

Blue Ribbon Rally kicks off National Child Abuse Awareness Week

By Cristin Ross

cross@jacksonvilleprogress.com

“Evil prevails when good people do nothing,” speaker Donald Hammock said Tuesday afternoon to a crowd of about 50, kicking off Cherokee County’s first ever Blue Ribbon Rally for National Child Abuse Awareness Month this month.

Hammock replaced Jim Cleveland as speaker because, according to Hammock, Cleveland was called to Eldorado, Texas, to “help deal with the polygamists,” referring to last week’s raid on a polygamist sect’s compound that removed more than 400 children from the compound on suspicion of emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

“This isn’t an isolated problem,” Hammock said. “Child abuse happens every day in our community. There are children here who will go to bed tonight afraid of what’s going to happen to them tomorrow.”

According to reports given at the rally, the number of confirmed child abuse cases in Cherokee County rose 40 percent in the first two months of this year, as compared to last year. County authorities will conduct an average of 460 child abuse investigations this year.

“But we can change that if we stand together, stand tall, stand strong to help these kids,” Hammock said. “If we collaborate our efforts, we can make a difference.”

The rally was held on the Cherokee County courthouse lawn in Rusk to help the community not only observe and acknowledge both the local efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, but to also combat the problem with awareness and education.

“We need to bring attention to the issue to help stop child abuse,” rally committee chair and Cherokee County Child Protective Services Superintendent Suzan Ellis said before the rally started. “We’re all responsible — we all need to be aware that it happens and we all need to take part in preventing it from happening.

“This event makes the community aware, and sends the message that we’re not going to tolerate those who prey on children.”

The event was marked with a blue ribbon-cutting and the release of 50 blue balloons in honor of the 50 Cherokee County children who have been removed from abusive homes and into foster care.

Rep. Chuck Hopson and Sen. Robert Nichols spoke at the rally, lending encouragement to the local entities who help end child abuse and neglect in the county, and declaring the communities of Cherokee County refuse to tolerate any form of child abuse or neglect.

Cherokee County Court-at-Law Judge Craig Fletcher added a challenge to the community, “Child abuse is a very real problem in this county. I want to challenge all our citizens to speak up for those who have no voice.

“Often children have no one to turn to. We need to open our eyes to the problem and reach out to help end the cycle of abuse,” Fletcher said.

The Brook Hill School Choral Department provided the entertainment for the rally. A hot dog lunch was provided to those who attended the rally.

County elementary students helped spread the rally’s message by participating in a poster contest. Students from Jacksonville’s East Side, West Side, Joe Wright and Fred Douglass elementary schools, Rusk Elementary School, Alto Elementary School, Jacksonville Christian School and Wells Elementary School all designed posters around a “stop child abuse” theme.

Alto Elementary School’s poster won the blue ribbon and a $50 gift certificate to the school.

Contributors to the Blue Ribbon Rally include Mother Francis Hospital; ETMC-Jacksonville; Rusk Dairy Queen; Cherokee County Child and Family Service Board; the Crisis Center of Anderson and Cherokee Counties; CASA of Trinity Valley; HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Enrichment); Alto, Jacksonville, New Summerfield, Rusk and Wells school districts; Central Baptist Church, Jacksonville; First United Methodist Church, Jacksonville; Rusk Chamber of Commerce, Twin Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center, Susie’s Gifts and Party Shop, Cherokee County District and County Attorney’s offices; the Cherokee County Court-at-Law office; the Cherokee County Commissioners’ Court; Coca-Cola Bottling Company; ACCESS-Star; and the county’s Department of Family and Protective Services.