Apopka Police Chief Michael McKinley joined local law enforcement and community leaders on Friday, March 31, for a special event at Orlando City Hall to bring awareness to National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
For the first-ever MANicure Movement event, each participant painted one or more of their fingernails blue in recognition of this issue.
According to McKinley, child abuse is 7½ times more common than childhood cancer. Nearly five children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect and a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds.
McKinley encouraged the Apopka community in bringing awareness to child abuse not only in April, but all year round.
“Our children are our greatest asset and are unable to defend themselves,” he was quoted as saying in a statement posted on the city of Apopka’s Facebook page. “Often those who are abused as children becomes abusers themselves. I am asking the Apopka community to join me, not only during the month of April, but throughout the year in bringing awareness to child abuse. I know that by working together we can ‘Polish Off’ child abuse.”
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are independently owned and family operated newspapers that have served the greater Apopka area since 1923 and 1965, respectively. The Apopka Chief is available every Friday, and The Planter, every Thursday.
