On Sunday, April 28, the 2nd Annual Sons of the American Legion Post 10 Golf Tournament will take place at the ECHO Farms Country Club located at 4114 Echo Farms Blvd. in Wilmington, NC. The event is opened to the public and on-site registration begins at 8 a.m. A shotgun start will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Registration is open now and will continue to run until the morning of the event. The cost of registration is $70 per person, which includes one mulligan. The cost of registration for a team of four is $280. As tradition holds, tournament-goers will enjoy a “Famous Breakfast” upon arrival at the course, complementary beverages while on the green and a delicious lunch at Post 10.

Opportunities for sponsorship are also available for this event. Individual hole sponsorships are readily available for only $100. For $400 your organization can become a corporate sponsor and receive a hole sponsor sign, waived registration fees for up to four golfers and lunch vouchers for six individuals.

Prizes will be awarded at the tournament for 1st and 2nd place finishers in each flight, as well as closest to the pin on a selected hole, and men’s and women’s longest drive on a selected hole.

Proceeds from the golf tournament will directly benefit The Carousel Center.

The Carousel Center for Abused Children opened in 2000, and is a non-profit organization committed to assisting victims of child abuse. In 2012 alone, The Carousel Center provided forensic/medical services for 172 new child clients, as well as 577 therapy sessions for children who are doing the hard work of healing from abuse. The Carousel Center is dedicated to providing these services, regardless of a family’s insurance coverage status or their economic ability to pay for services.

The team at The Carousel Center is excited to see your team on the morning of April 28th at ECHO Farms Country Club for the 2nd Annual Sons of the American Legion’s Golf Tournament. 

For more information, call Bill Coddington at 910-790-8721.

What is Child Abuse?

Taking steps to eliminate child abuse in our community means creating a dialogue around such topics. On its most fundamental level, we must realize that these incidents actually exist in our community.

Child abuse is an umbrella term that envelopes physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect.

Child physical abuse is the most visible form of child maltreatment. CPA is defined as non-accidental trauma or physical injury caused by punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning or otherwise harming a child.

Child sexual abuse encompasses sexual contact with a child, touching and non-touching offenses, and is inclusive of all acts of sexual exploitation. The legal definition of child molestation is an act of a person—adult or child—who forces, coerces or threatens a child to have any form of sexual contact or to engage in any type of sexual activity at the perpetrator’s direction.

Child neglect is defined as a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so.

Other forms of neglect include poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate/delayed medical care, or frequent absences from school without plausible explanation.

What does an abused child look like?

An abused child may:

-Have injuries, bruises, or welts                              

-Have trouble walking or sitting

-Wear inappropriate clothes to cover up injuries    

-Shy away from touching

-Display knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to his/her age and development

-Without reason, make strong efforts to avoid a specific person or, on the contrary, the child may develop an inappropriate attachment to aforementioned person

As a general note: Each child’s reaction to abuse is situational and individualistic. There is no “normative” case.

How do you report abuse or neglect?

Your voice matters! The effect of child abuse is lifelong and pervasive in nature. Everyone has a legal duty to report any “Suspected” abuse and/or neglect of a child to the Dept. of Social Services Child Protective Services. Do not be afraid to report, as long as you are acting in good faith, you cannot be held liable.

Childhelp® is a national organization that provides crisis assistance and other counseling and referral services. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and all calls are anonymous. Contact them at 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453).

To report suspicion of maltreatment locally:   New Hanover County: 910-798-3400

Brunswick County: 910-253-2077

Pender County: 910-259-1240

If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape, sexual assault, or child sexual abuse, contact the Rape Crisis Center of Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. at 910-392-7460. Rape Crisis offers free and confidential support, counseling, advocacy and referrals.

What can you do today?

Simply by reading this PSA you have taken a step in the right direction. Be aware of your surroundings and the interactions between children and adults around you. By participating in dialogue surrounding issues such as this, you are bringing said topics into the light, giving a voice to the most delicate, vulnerable, and voiceless- our children.

Be an advocate. Be aware. Engage and plug-in to local organizations such as:

The Carousel Center (TCC) 910-254-9898

The Rape Crisis Center (RCC) 910-392-7460

The Child Advocacy & Parenting Place (CAPP) 910-791-1057

The Department of Social Services (DSS) 910-798-3400

Information provided by http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/cps/about.htm.

For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities throughout the year, or to inquire about open positions on our Board of Directors, please contact the Carousel Center for Abused Children.

Submitted by Jordan Brackett, CCAC Spring 2013 intern

The Carousel Center for Abused Children is happy to announce that our very OWN Lisa Brooks has been nominated for the Smart Start Children’s Champion Award!!!  She is our champion every day!

Several Members of  the Carousel Center for Abused Children’s Board of Directors (Photo contributed by Mark Steelman)

 November 8, 2012

Ten of the 17 members of the Board of Directors of the Carousel Center for Abused Children (CCAC) attended the 2012 Cape Fear Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP/CFR)’s National Philanthropy Day Awards Breakfast at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Thursday morning.

 They walked away with a big award.

 The CCAC is pleased to announce that its board of directors has earned the 2012 Fundraising Board of the Year Award.

According to AFP/CFR guidelines, the award is presented to a nonprofit or foundation whose voluntary fundraising efforts “…have demonstrated the spirit of philanthropy and set an example for others to follow.”

 “We are honored to have been chosen to receive this award.” says Todd Godbey, President of the Board of Directors for the CCAC. “Our board members roll up their sleeves and get the job done; unapologetically asking for donations and support and spreading the mission of the Carousel Center while reminding the community that abused children live among us and need our services.”

 In the last five years the CCAC Board of Directors has raised more than $479,000 in net proceeds to the organization. Preparations are already underway for the 10th anniversary of their signature fundraising event, “Making Legends Local” Gala which will take place April 27, 2013 at Thalian Hall.

The Carousel Center for Abused Children is a non-profit organization committed to assisting victims of child abuse, providing critical care services to children from eight counties throughout southeastern North Carolina. In addition to caring for the children, our staff works in partnership with other agencies such as Law Enforcement, Department of Social Services and District Attorneys to prosecute offenders.

 In the thirteen years since the doors opened at The Carousel Center, the clinical staff has seen between 250 and 300 NEW cases annually.  Of those, over 80% present with evidence of sexual abuse.  In addition to the clinical visits, therapy sessions average well over 200 visits annually. The average age of children who need the Carousel Center is five years old, while the youngest served this year was four months.  It costs approximately $2,000 to serve each child seen, while the average reimbursement from Medicaid and other sources is only about $360. 

For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities throughout the year, contact the Carousel Center for Abused Children.