There are blue and silver pinwheels blowing in the breeze on sunny, spring days all over Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

"We have a record number of organizations in Rutherford and Cannon County planting pinwheel gardens to show their support of child abuse victims this year," announced Ryan Wallace, Child Advocacy Center Community Education Coordinator.

In 1983, Congress declared April to be National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since then, communities across our nation and here in Rutherford and Cannon Counties have taken this opportunity to raise community awareness about child abuse, child sexual abuse, and drug endangered children.

Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee organized the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. There are 187 places in the State of Tennessee that have pinwheel gardens and 24 of them are in Rutherford and Cannon counties. For more information contactwww.pcat.org.

The 2016 Pinwheels for Prevention campaign slogan is: Every child deserves a great childhood. "At the Child Advocacy Center we echo the Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign slogan. Rutherford County and Cannon County are family oriented communities. We believe that every child deserves a great childhood and children who have been physically and sexually abused deserve our communities' support," stated Child Advocacy Center director Sharon DeBoer.

"You can come out and show your support for child abuse victims," continued Wallace, "by lacing up your tennis shoes and joining your friends and neighbors in the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children on Friday.

The Child Advocacy Center is celebrating Child Abuse Awareness Month with the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children on Friday afternoon, April 29, 2016 at the Murfreesboro Civic Plaza, downtown on the square. Registration will begin at 12:00 noon, speakers at 12:45 p.m., and the Walk will begin at 1:00 p.m. The event will conclude with a reception at the Child Advocacy Center, located at 1040 Samsonite Blvd.

For more information about the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children or the local pinwheel gardens, please contact the Child Advocacy Center. In Rutherford County call 615-867-9000 or in Cannon County contact 615-563-9915.

24 Pinwheels for Prevention Gardens:

• Black Fox Elementary School, 1753 South Rutherford, Murfreesboro
• Cannon County Child Advocacy Center, 214 West Water Street, Woodbury
• Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County, Inc., 1040 Samsonite Blvd., Murfreesboro
• The Children's Center, 434 East Bell Street, Murfreesboro
• Department of Children's Services, Corner of Westgate Blvd. and Southgate Blvd., Murfreesboro
• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, 2106 East Main Street, Murfreesboro
• Green Dragon Public House, 714 F West Main Street, Murfreesboro
• The Guidance Center, 2126 North Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro
• Health Connect, 132 Heritage Park Drive, Murfreesboro
• Juvenile Detention Center, 1710 South Church Street, Murfreesboro
• Kids R Kids Child Care Center, 1152 North Rutherford Blvd., Murfreesboro
• Kymari House, 308 North Spring Street, Murfreesboro
• La Vergne City Hall, 5093 Murfreesboro Road, LaVergne
• La Vergne Fire Department Station #3, 301 Bill Steward Drive, LaVergne
• La Vergne Police Department Special Investigations Division, 5093 Murfreesboro Road, LaVergne
• MTSU Volleyball, 2650 Middle Tennessee Blvd., Murfreesboro
• Murfreesboro City Schools, 2552 South Church Street, Murfreesboro
• Murfreesboro Police Department, 302 South Church Street, Murfreesboro
• Our Kids Center, 1804 Hayes Street, Nashville
• Rutherford County Coalition Against Child Abuse, Murfreesboro
• Rutherford County Courthouse, on the square, Murfreesboro
• Smyrna Christian School, 112 Division Street, Smyrna
• Smyrna Police Department, 400 Enon Springs Road, Smyrna
• The Village Learning Academy, 7904 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro