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North Platte — A free, family-friendly event aimed at raising awareness about child abuse is returning later this month.
The 10th annual Child Abuse Awareness and Family Appreciation Day, hosted by Guardians of the Children Flat Rock Chapter, is scheduled for April 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the D&N Event Center.
“It’s April 25th from 11 to 2. It’s at the DNN event center and if you’ve never been, you need to load the kids up and come,” said Scrappy with Guardians of the Children.
The event will feature free hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza, along with bounce houses, games, and a cakewalk. Local agencies will also be on hand to provide information and resources for families.
“There will be free hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza until we run out. There’ll be bounce houses for the kids. There’s going to be a lot of agencies from around the area there to give out information,” Scrappy said.
One of the biggest highlights each year is the bicycle giveaway, which is made possible through community donations.
“The biggest thing everybody knows is we give away a lot of bicycles that day,” Scrappy said.
Bikes are distributed through a raffle system, allowing kids to enter for the size they need.
“They choose what size bicycle they want… and we draw tickets until all the bicycles for each size are given away,” he said.
Organizers say the event is intentionally held in April to coincide with Child Abuse Awareness Month and to bring attention to an ongoing issue.
“We want to bring awareness to the public about child abuse and it’s an epidemic that’s unfortunately getting worse and not getting better,” Scrappy said.
The event is open to the public, and organizers encourage families from across the area to attend.
“I would just say, just load the kids up and bring them out because it’s a fun, fun day. And anybody from the public is invited,” he said.
Community members can also contribute by donating bicycles or cakes for the event, with organizers noting that bike donations are especially needed this year.