It’s a fun event to highlight a horrible issue: child abuse.
“We’re reaching out to kids and helping them understand that child abuse is not allowed,” explained Robin Duffy-Wirth, the fitness manager at SunUte Community Center.
Next week’s color run, sponsored by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Town of Ignacio and Ignacio School District, is part of Child Abuse Prevention Month. About 900 to 1,000 Ignacio kids will be running through clouds of colored powder. A group of local students came up with the motto, “Color my world with love.”
Each color station also will carry a banner with an important message, such as, “My body, my boundaries” and “See it, speak it.”
“We want to get the kids thinking, ‘Child abuse is not OK.’ The event also will feature “trusted adults” and information for children and adults,” Duffy-Wirth said. Police, doctors and nurses are being asked to run in uniform, and judges can wear their robes, so children understand “these are people I can reach out to.”
It’s easy for residents of small towns to think child abuse doesn’t take place here.
“Child abuse happens everywhere,” Duffy-Wirth said. “If we don’t talk about it, it gets shoved under the rug. You have to talk about it to bring it to light.”
The Southern Ute Social Services Division investigates about 15 to 20 potential child abuse cases a month, according to the tribal newspaper, The Southern Ute Drum. That includes child abuse, sexual assault and child neglect. The tribe is trying to recruit more foster parents.
Registration for the event starts at 2 p.m. at Ignacio Middle School, with the event starting at 2:30 p.m. There are one-mile and two-mile courses.
Also sponsoring the event are Shining Mountain Health and Wellness, Los Pinos Fire Protection District, Tribal Services Department, Southern Ute Montessori Academy, and the Southern Ute and Ignacio police departments.
“We want to show our love and respect for these kids,” Duffy-Wirth said.
Reader Comments