Flower launch celebrates children

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and an event in downtown Wilmington Tuesday afternoon honored children everywhere.

A flower launch celebrated children, especially those who have been abused and neglected, as well as the professionals who provide for their safety. Flowers that were thrown into the Cape Fear River represented them.

Those in attendance included judges, attorneys, and school children.

Professionals who work in the field of children protection say this is a very special day. “It’s like the biggest hug you could ever get and telling you that everything you do is recognized, even though you do this because it’s dear to your heart; it does not go unrecognized and these people remind you of that,” said Wanda Marino of the Department of Social Services.

This was the fifth annual flower launch.