On Apr. 3, Lewisburg Mayor John Manchester signed a Proclamation declaring Friday, Apr. 28 Children’s Memorial Flag Day. He was joined in his signing by representatives from the Children’s Home Society.

On Apr. 28, the community will be joining with countless others across the country for the Children’s Memorial Flag Day Ceremony to remember the thousands of children lost in the last year to violence. The symbol of this observance will be the presentation and display of the Children’s Memorial Flag. The flag is a simple, moving image; a red field depicting blue, paper-doll-like figures of children holding hands. In the center, the white chalk outline of a missing child symbolizes the children lost to violence. The flag will be raised at the Greenbrier County Courthouse by the Greenbrier West JROTC during the ceremony and flown until Monday, May 1, as a remembrance.North Court Street in front of the Greenbrier County Courthouse from West Randolph Street to Arbuckle Lane will be closed during the event, from 12 noon – 1 p.m.

During the ceremony, three individuals in the community will be recognized for their dedication and advocacy for abused children in our communities and prosecuting attorney Patrick Via will be the keynote speaker. The Lewisburg Baptist Academy Elementary School Choir will also perform.

Also located in the court yard, from Apr. 24-May 1, there will be pinwheels that serve as a visual reminder of the abused and neglected children served in our area. The pinwheel, a happy and uplifting symbol of childhood, is used to capture the community’s attention and motivate people to become involved in child abuse prevention efforts. Over 900,000 pinwheels have been displayed nationwide since April 2008.

CASA, Child and Youth Advocacy Center, Davis Stuart, the Family Refuge Center and Children’s Home Society call for an end to violence against children and youth in America, especially in Greenbrier County where all these agencies work day in and day out to help abused and neglected children.

Help them in their goal of eliminating child abuse in our community by doing the following:

• Always Report Abuse
• Volunteer your time by getting involved with other parents, schools or community organizations. Start a neighborhood children’s group or youth activities.
• Encourage the creation of parent education classes, mentoring programs, and respite care programs in Greenbrier County.
• Be a nurturing parent and settle disagreements without hitting or yelling. Commit to disciplining your children thoughtfully.
• Become a foster or adoptive parent and welcome children into your heart and home.

For more information about the event, contact Children’s Home Society at 304-647-3430.