Pinwheels Sprout for Child Abuse Prevention in Fairfield County

STAMFORD, Conn. – Nearly 2,000 pinwheels were placed Sunday in front of Stamford’s Rippowam Middle School.

The pinwheels placed at the base of a tree were part of an exhibition by the Kids in Crisis Youth Corps to raise awareness of the 1,864 children – 300 more than in 2011 – in Fairfield County who were abused or neglected in the past year.

This is the second year Kids in Crisis has put together this event. Darien High School senior Sami Testi, a member of the Youth Corps, said that for her, it’s all about helping the kids.

“I think the pinwheels are a great choice because they’re so child-like, and it really helps to drive it in that these are kids,” Testi said.

Liam Butler, a freshman at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford, agreed, saying that pinwheels are a symbol of childhood.  “I think it’s a good statement,” he said.

Windy weather worked with the mission Sunday as the group placed the pinwheels in the ground.

“I don’t think people realize it happens in Fairfield,” said Kids in Crisis Executive Director Shari Shapiro.

Making sure that her son, Conor, a freshman at Trinity, is informed about these issues is what keeps Colleen Ehring of Norwalk involved. “I think kids sometimes don’t realize what happens, even in Fairfield County.”

Students in Katrina O’Hare’s religion class at Trinity High School chose Kids in Crisis as the foundation to raise money for during April, which is “pay it forward month.” Many of them were at Rippowam to help put the pinwheels into the ground.

Kids in Crisis is a free 24/7 service for children up to age 17 in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

The exhibit will last through April 5 marking the start of Child Abuse Awareness Month. There is a second exhibit outside the Darien Library.

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