(Contributed photo)
WATSONVILLE — On Sunday, the Survivors Healing Center will be handing out ice cream and inviting families to perform together on a variety of percussion instruments.
But the event serves a deeper purpose: to raise awareness of child sexual abuse, and find ways to prevent the problem.
The second annual Caring 4 Kids Rhythm Event, in commemoration of Child Abuse Prevention Month, is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Watsonville Plaza, taking place during the Earth Day – Day of the Child celebration.
The event made its debut in 2017, after organizers of the annual Walk to Stop the Silence decided to create a different event to bring more families together.
Kathy Riley, a member of the Friends of Survivors Healing Center, said the move to hold the event during the Earth Day celebration was a chance to attract more families and provide them with information about preventing child sexual abuse.
The plan worked.
More than 800 children and their families were given ice cream, and 750 coloring books that teach children the difference between “good touch” and “bad touch” were handed out, according to Riley.
“We had a great turnout at the rhythm event, had many happy kids and adults alike enjoying ice cream and we were very encouraged by how many parents and caregivers wanted our child safety information,” she said.
This year, rhythm facilitator Don Davidson will bring more than 150 drums and percussion instruments, such as bells and rattles, and will lead families to play along.
After 10 years of Walk to Stop the Silence, and as Caring 4 Kids enters its second year, Riley said that while the issue of child sexual abuse is still a major problem, people’s awareness of it has improved.
According to Riley, about 90 percent of sexual abuse happens with someone the child knows. She stressed the importance of parents talking to their children about the issue.
“Even if it is uncomfortable to do so, we need to take action on behalf of the children in our community,” she said.
Giving families and children support is one of the main missions of Survivors Healing Center, which, among other programs, offers group therapy to survivors of child sexual abuse.
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Caring 4 Kids will take place Sunday at the Watsonville Plaza. Ice cream will be handed out from 1-3 p.m., with the rhythm event running from 2:45-3:30 p.m.
For information, visit survivorshealingcenter.org or caringforkidsevent.com.
