Hands Around The Courthouse in Marathon County, WI (WAOW)
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – On a gloomy Thursday afternoon, a small group of people took their stand against child abuse at the Marathon County Courthouse.
As part of Strengthening Families month, the county hosted its annual “Hands Around the Courthouse” event, inviting people to join their hands together during a moment of silence honoring victims of child abuse. “Rain or shine, our families in Marathon County need our help and our support,” said Christa Jensen, the director of Marathon County Social Services. The joining of hands symbolizes the support people can give children and families through their presence.
“Really, our hope today is to spread that message that we all really are in this together, supporting children and families, to strengthen their family units and keep them together,” Jensen said.
People had been encouraged to wear blue Thursday, the color representing child abuse prevention.
The issue has been pervasive in Wisconsin, and officials say the more people are aware of the problem, the more that can be done to help.
“Last year in the state of Wisconsin, there were more than 21,000 reports of child abuse and neglect that were investigated by child welfare agencies, and nearly 500 of those investigations were right here in Marathon County,” said Marathon County Administrator Lance Leonhard.
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