The Cricket Center hosts their annual walk to raise awareness on child abuse

April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month and some disturbing statistics reveal the average age of reported victims of child sexual abuse in Worcester County is just 8 years old.

But the Worcester County's child advocacy center, known as The Cricket Center, is trying to eliminate that stat through raising awareness. 

On Sunday, they hosted their 5th Annual Walk for Kids and every single dollar raised goes straight back to their agency. We're told The Cricket Center is one stop shop where they have multiple partnering agencies involved to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases. 

And there may be different agencies involved but they have one common purpose: to protect our children.

To show how much they make a difference, the 478 pinwheels planted represent every single child saved by these agencies. Their executive director Wendy Myers says, "Every single one of those pinwheels represents one child that went from victim to survivor last year."

From pinwheels to the walk, their message is loud and clear. You are not alone. 

Worcester County's State's Attorney, Bill McDermott tells us, "We've been calling this a walk, but I think it's a march. You can walk anywhere, but a march is for purpose. Today, when you hear the sound of the shoes hitting the planks on the boardwalk, it's going to be sending a message all across this county and all across the state. The message for survivors is that we're here for you and the message to predators, we're coming for you."

But you can also make a difference to help raise awareness. By having conversations, you can encourage community dialogue to build safe environments for children. Your voice can help prevent child abuse from ever happening again.