Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Silver City Fire Department invites kids to sit inside the fire truck
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Genaro Tapia, an El Grito graduate, and Lisa Tapia, who works in the Headstart Office sit at the booth promoting the services
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Stephanie Ramirez of Zumba Fitness supports the event
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Melissa Gonzalez and Tina Chavez at Children, Youth and Families Department table doing a scavenger hunt
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
The jumping house is always a hit with the kids
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Angela Veltri at CASA table gets face painted by Natalie Gill
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Joan Millard at the CASA booth
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Lots of stuffed animals sun on the steps prior to being chosen in a raffle
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Christine Starr of Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services mixes purple slime with her hands
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Xochitl Torres and Marissa Molano help kids make pinwheels
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Jason Marshall said he had already given out three boxes of books from Literacy Link-Leamos
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Sitting in the shade, enjoying the park and the event
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Kids and parents participate in the event
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Jodi Ortiz and Myra Solis prepare and hand out hot dogs
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Anatasia Pino and Sophia Kozhukkar pick out items from Yvonne Gomez and Manda Aguilera
CASA hosts child abuse awareness event 051218
Roger Cruzan and Kylle Marshall of SCFD are fire inspectors and in charge of PR and education
C.A.S.A., Court Appointed Special Advocates, put on an event in Gough Park on Saturday, May 12, 2018, to bring awareness of child abuse and prevention to families in Grant County.
Tanya Ortiz, program coordinator for Grant County CASA, said it’s the fourth time they have put on the Childhood Abuse Awareness and Prevention event. "We've had about 125 attendees so far," she said about noon.
"We have many participants, including CYFD, SASS, Hidalgo Medical Services, Christian Harvest Church, El Grito HeadStart, NM DOH, Workforce Connections, Literacy Link-Leamos, Beginning Years, Zumba by Stephanie, D.A.R.E., and the Silver City Police and Fire departments," she said.
The jumping balloon was donated by Alfonso Santa Maria of the Living the Dream Nutrition business.
"It's a free day of activities for the community to bring awareness of what we do," Ortiz said. "We have had generous donations from businesses and organizations. We have 48 children in custody in Grant County. CYFD needs more foster parents. And we can always use more volunteers. We serve children from birth to age 17."