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The queens of Chilton County lead the procession through downtown Clanton to plant pinwheels at Clanton Corner Park. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

District Judge Chris Speaks, left, and Chilton County Probate Judge Jason Calhoun read and signed a proclamation on April 5 proclaiming April Child Abuse Prevention Month in Chilton County. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Members of the Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center staff during the pinwheel parade to Clanton Corner Park. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center Executive Director Jana Zuelzke speaks to the crowd at the nonprofit’s kickoff event on April 5. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

The queens of Chilton County led the procession during the pinwheel parade holding a banner that read “Pinwheels for Prevention.” (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

One hundred and eight pinwheels were carried to downtown Clanton and planted by the crowd in attendance on April 5. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center held its third annual kickoff event and pinwheel parade through downtown Clanton on April 5 to start arguably its most impactful month of service to the community.

The event serves as a kickoff for Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the nonprofit hosts a program on the front lawn of its Clanton office before leading a parade to Clanton Corner Park in downtown where over a hundred pinwheels were planted. Overall, 108 pinwheels were placed at corner park. Each pinwheel placed represented one of the 108 children Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center assisted in Chilton County during 2023.

Guests, multi-disciplinary team members, staff and others gathered on the front lawn, and BBCAC Executive Director Jana Zuelzke welcomed the crowd and spoke about why the month is so important for the nonprofit, and the bout against child abuse they fight each day.

District Judge Chris Speaks and Chilton County Probate Judge Jason Calhoun were in attendance, and they read and signed a proclamation proclaiming the month of April Child Abuse Prevention Month in Chilton County. Speaks spoke about the hardships he sees on a daily basis in the court system when it comes to fighting child abuse right here in Chilton County.

“We have already had numerous cases come through the court system since the start of this year,” Speaks said to the crowd. “The work that Butterfly Bridge does and you in the community raising awareness to child abuse prevention can help these numbers fall in the future.”

The queens of Chilton County were also in attendance and participated in the event by reading facts about child abuse and ways of prevention. The queens, which consisted of the Blackberry, Chilton County, Peach, Relay for Life, Strawberry and Swedish Queens, also led the pinwheel parade’s procession through downtown Clanton to Clanton Corner Park holding a banner that read ‘Pinwheels for Prevention.’

Throughout the month of April, BBCAC will be hosting various events and fundraisers as a part of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Numerous businesses throughout Chilton County are sponsoring fundraising nights at different times of the month where a portion of their proceeds will go towards benefitting the nonprofit. The calendar of businesses participating can be found online at www.butterflybridgecac.org.

Other ways community members can get involved with the month’s festivities are wearing blue on Fridays during April, sharing content on the BBCAC social media pages and by donating. The nonprofit is also releasing a series of podcasts entitled ‘Let’s Talk About It! — Child Abuse Prevention Month’ throughout April, and they can be viewed on the nonprofits social media pages.

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