CALDWELL, Idaho — The annual Superhero Walk returns to Caldwell on Saturday hoping to bring awareness to child abuse prevention.
Members of the community are invited to walk with local law enforcement in superhero outfits, capes, and blue clothing to highlight efforts as child abuse prevention month gets underway.
The event, spearheaded by the Nampa Family Justice Center and the Canyon County Law Enforcement Foundation, begins at 2 p.m.
Last year, more than 100 people participated in the eighth annual Superhero Walk, which stretches from the Caldwell Police Department to the Canyon County Courthouse. Officers with Caldwell Police and the Nampa Police Department will also suit up in costumes and blue for Saturday's walk.
Roughly one in four girls and one in 13 boys experience child abuse sometime during their childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Child Advocacy Center Manager with the Nampa Family Justice Center, Jennifer Perry, said endangerment, physical and sexual abuse and other forms of neglect, "can be difficult for victims, their families, and the general public."
According to the CDC, 91% of child sexual abuse is carried out by someone the victim knows or their family knows.
“We want to celebrate the many superheroes in our community: the brave young voices that come forward to tell their story, the caregivers who believe them and take action, the community members who take steps to recognize and prevent abuse, and the professionals who work to keep kids safe and bring hope and healing to survivors of abuse," Perry wrote. "As the community sees blue pinwheels throughout the Treasure Valley during the month of April, we hope they serve as an encouragement to take steps to better recognize, respond to, and prevent child abuse…to be a superhero.”
At the Canyon County Courthouse on Saturday, children can participate in an Easter egg hunt and plant their bright blue pinwheels. The pinwheel is the national symbol for child abuse prevention, and represents a great childhood with playfulness and joy.
The Caldwell Police Department is located at 110 South 5th Avenue in Caldwell. Participants are encouraged to meet there at 2 p.m., with the Superhero Walk scheduled to run through 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information on the ninth annual Superhero Walk, click here.
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