Exchange Club of Richmond Hill and Atlantic Area CASA are partnering with Ameris Bank and are joining thousands of groups across the country throughout the month of April to promote child abuse prevention awareness in their local communities.

The Exchange Club of Richmond Hill and Atlantic Area CASA, short for Court Appointed Special Advocates, are displaying a blue pinwheel garden on the lawn in front of Ameris Bank in Richmond Hill.

The purpose of the Pinwheel Garden and the silhouetted children is to raise awareness about the impacts of child abuse and neglect on the local community. Atlantic Area CASA has been supporting the child welfare system to mitigate these impacts by training community volunteers to advocate for abused or neglected children in courts to ensure the child’s best interests are always kept in mind throughout the process.

Child abuse prevention is a worthy cause that is ingrained in the culture of The National Exchange Club as it is identified as Exchange’s national philanthropy.

To champion the cause locally, the Richmond Hill Exchange Club has undertaken a number of awareness and fundraising efforts in the community including the Casino Night fundraiser at the City Center on April 1 which benefited the program Healthy Families, a child abuse prevention program, and their work in Bryan County.

“The Exchange Club’s child abuse prevention work is the reason that I joined our local Club. Being a parent is hard. Our community can be the support system that can make all the difference in preventing abuse and neglect in our area, so we can all make a difference,” said Mary Fuller, Richmond Hill Exchange Club president.

If anyone is interested in purchasing pinwheels for “plant” by their mailbox, door or business, please contact the club at rhexchangeclub@gmail.com.