MRHC, others honor victims of child abuse with a tree planting ceremony

On Tuesday, April 29th, in observance of National Child Abuse Awareness Month, a multi-disciplinary team made up of representatives of Magnolia Regional Health Center, DHS, Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, Corinth Police Department, Timber Hills and the Alcorn County District Attorney’s Office held a tree planting ceremony on the Magnolia Regional Health Center campus.

The multi-disciplinary team works together to help and protect abused children in Alcorn County. Thirty-six blue ribbons representing the number of sexual abuse cases from April 2007 to April 2008 were placed on the branches of the tree in memory of those victims.

In the spring of 1989 a Chesapeake, Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, began what was to become the Blue Ribbon Campaign. It was a testimonial to her three year old grandson who was murdered by his mother’s abusive boyfriend. Finney stated, “One day I was just thinking about all the bruises I had seen on my grandchildren. I just decided I was going to tie a blue ribbon on my van. Why blue? I intend never to forget the battered, bruised bodies of my grandchildren. Blue serves as a constant reminder to me to fight for protection for our children.”

Among those on-hand for the tree planting were Corinth Mayor Jerry Latch, Jerry Rogers of ACSO, Christy Irvin, Sarah Hall, Rick Napper, CEO of Magnolia Regional Health Center, Sheriff Charles Rinehart, Betsy Wood, Kim Mask and Debbie Gann.

The Mississippi Child Abuse Hotline is 1.800.222.8000.