April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Elkins, WV – During the month of April each year, we turn our focus to child abuse awareness and prevention right here at home. On Friday April 17th, Randolph-Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center will be hosting the annual Champions for Children event at the Parsons Volunteer Fire Department in Parsons. Social hour will begin with appetizers at 5:45 pm, with a full dinner prepared by the men and women of St. Patrick’s Church of Coalton, longtime supporters and dedicated volunteers for the CAC. Attendees will enjoy live music by Born Old during dinner. Born Old is Paul Gartner (banjo, guitar & vocals) and Doug Van Gundy (fiddle, guitar, mandolin & vocals). Following dinner, an awards ceremony will be held to honor individuals and organizations in three award categories: Professional, Community Partners, and Samaritans. We’ll complete the evening with a live auction of arts, crafts, and gift packages.
Randolph-Tucker CAC is part of a national movement which revolutionized the United States’ response to child sexual abuse. Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country provide a child-friendly setting where children can talk about their experiences. CACs use a team approach to respond to child abuse, working together with professionals in law enforcement, child protection, mental health, and healthcare to coordinate investigations and ongoing support, treatment, and advocacy at no cost to families. The map of CACs shows 976 Children’s Advocacy Centers now operating nationally. There are 21 Child Advocacy Centers in WV serving 48 counties! Randolph and Tucker counties were added to that map in 2003 and we’re proud to say that our community was one of the first in West Virginia to establish a Children’s Advocacy Center.
The Champions for Children event is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the remarkable contributions of professionals, volunteers, individuals, and organizations in our community who have helped support the CAC and its partners to serve our most vulnerable citizens, the children in Randolph and Tucker counties. Celebrate with us!
We would like to thank our sponsors for this year’s event:
Citizens Bank of WV
City of Parsons
Davis Trust Company
Elkins Kiwanis
Elkins Physical Therapy & Sports Injury Clinic
Eyes and Brains STEM Center
GFWC Woman’s Club of Elkins
Imry and Debra Barsy
In Memory of Joe Meloy
Kolsun Media
Mark P. Joseph, CPA
Mary S. Boyd, MD
Mayor Bruce and Dr. Cindy Kolsun
MegaCorps Logistics
Mountain Valley Bank
Pro/OnTrac
Raymond Godwin
Ronda Wagner
Shop N Save Express
TCPA/ Savannah Wilkins
Town of Coalton
Town of Montrose
Tucker Community Foundation
Tygarts Valley Sanitation
Valley Health Care
Williams and Associates
Woodford Oil
WVCAN
Youth Health Service
An extra special thanks to our Gold Star Sponsors: St. George Medical Clinic and K.T. Bright, CPA.
For more information, please visit www.rtcac.org.