Pinwheels walk, Earth Day events set for Saturday

Saturday is a special day for the community to support efforts to prevent child abuse in Churchill County.

The annual walk sponsored by the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe’s Youth and Family Services serves as a reminder that the fight is not over in stopping abuse, whether its physical, mental or both.

“Pinwheels for Prevention is a nationwide program,” said Jennifer Pishion, manager of Youth and Family Services.

Every year she said members of the community walk to Fox Peak, plant pinwheels and then reflect. She said each pinwheel does not represent an individual case; instead, all the pinwheels are meant to bring an overall awareness to problems affecting families.

Once the participants plant the pinwheels in the grass in front of the Fox Peak sign, the walkers return to Oats Park, the site of this year’s Earth Day celebrations.

Registration for the walk begins at 8:30 a.m. at Oats Park, 30 minutes before participants leave for the planting of pinwheels.

The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services reports the number of abuse and neglect reports has decreased since 2014, but the number of report has stayed at about the same because more cases are being opened.

Pishion said she is sad FRIENDS Resource Center will not be participating. The center lost its grant last year and closed its doors. Karen Stoll, who was a coordinator for FRIENDS last year, said, “Our goal is to prevent child abuse. We want to offer other alternatives for what is going on. We’re here to celebrate children and to make sure they do not become abused or neglected and we think educating the public is the best way to do that.”

Because of heavy rain at last year’s walk, only a handful of participants made the journey from downtown to Fox Peak and the FPST’s Earth Day was postponed one week.

The call for inclement weather for today and Saturday could also hamper the Earth Day event at Oats Park, which is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Last year’s rain postponed Earth Day by one week, but Richard Black, director of the FPST’s Environmental Division, said he is hopeful for a good Saturday. This is the 16th annual event that offers displays from environmental groups, artists, crafters and entertainers an area set up for food vendors. Black said Earth Day may have a drummer and small dance group.

Black said Earth Day is a community event for residents of Churchill County and visitors to attend.