Pinwheels are spinning, and a parade and festival for children were held this week in accordance with national campaigns for child education and child abuse prevention.

Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children participated in the national campaigns, supporting Week of the Young Child (April 10-16) and Aprils’ Child Abuse Prevention Month. The agency coordinated Paint the Town Blue, its local initiative to raise awareness for the importance of child education, according to Kris Bowen, literacy coordinator with BHPC.

BHPC, family service agencies, local businesses, childcare providers, including childcare centers and churches, and families donned T-shirts made by a local fifth-grader RJ, who entered his design in the organization’s T-shirt design contest and won, according to a BHPC press release.

“We love the message of the T-shirt designed by RJ: ‘Be a Buddy Not a Bully,’ and we are hoping to spread this important concept by having local folks join us in wearing the T-shirt on Thursday, April 14 on the day of the Children’s Parade and Festival,” said Lisa Woolard, BHPC executive director, prior to the event.

Children, childcare providers, local leaders and families wore the T-shirts as they marched down Main Street in the Children’s Parade. The parade was followed by the Children’s Festival, a fun event that was coordinated for children, families and others involved in childcare, Bowen said.

The festival included live music by Pamlico Joe and the Cleanwater Flow, visits by UNC-TV’s Read-a-roo and her PBS KIDS pals Sid the Science Kid and Curious George. Also at the festival were games, face-painting, free Kona Ice and more, according to the release.

“We just make it a really fun day,” Bowen said. “We selected the parade and festival because it’s a fun activity for children, childcare centers and families to come out and celebrate our youngest learners.”

BHPC also participated in Pinwheels for Prevention, a national campaign to raise awareness for child abuse prevention. Pinwheel gardens were planted at businesses and other locations throughout Beaufort and Hyde counties, and county commissioners from both counties recently signed proclamations in support of both initiatives.

Bowen said BHPC is trying to canvass the message of early childhood education and its importance through the two campaigns.

“Child care providers and community partners are planting pinwheel gardens in the lawns of their business sites and pinwheel pots are blooming in downtown Washington businesses,” Woolard said.  “Our community is joining together to send the message that every child deserves to be happy, healthy and safe.”

T-shirts are available for purchase at the Partnership for Children located at 979 Washington Square Mall behind Belk and under the big kite sign.  Sizes adult small to extra-large are $8.

For more information about Paint the Town Blue, contact the Partnership at 252-975-4647, ext. 0. To find out more about Week of the Young Child Events or the services of Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children, visit the organization’s website at bhckids.org or follow the organization on Facebook and Pinterest.