St. Peter's students release balloons for child abuse prevention

MANSFIELD – Students from St. Peter’s High School released 277 blue balloons on Tuesday, one for every child abused or neglected every 24 hours across the United States.

Mansfield Mayor Donald Culliver and Randy Parker, executive director of Richland County Children Services, joined the students by releasing the first two balloons.

Students then released a balloon every 13 seconds, signifying the amount of time in which a child in America suffers abuse or neglect. The event was organized by the child development class taught by Maryanne Chengelis.

The students presented a check for $400 to the agency, asking that it be used for child abuse prevention programs.

 (left) Randy Parker talks to Mayor Donald Culliver today during event at Mansfield St. Peter's High School.

(Click here for a photo gallery from today's event.)

Agency communications supervisor Carl Hunnell accepted the check and thanked the students for raising the money.

“Congratulations on this great event today and for taking the time to care about children,” Hunnell said.

He also spoke about the agency’s “Choose Your Partner Carefully” campaign, a joint effort with the Domestic Violence Shelter in Mansfield.

“One-third of the child abuse cases we investigate have a non-related adult as the alleged perpetrator,” Hunnell said. “It’s usually a boyfriend or step-father, or girlfriend or step-mother. As you get older and get married and have children, please be careful who you allow into your child’s life. That little boy or girl will depend on you to keep them safe.”

Each student received a blue ribbon to wear with a note announcing Richland County Children Services investigated 2,748 cases of alleged child abuse and neglect in 2009, the busiest year in the 126-year history of the agency.

About a dozen other employees from Richland County Children Services attended the event, including Nikki Harless, director of operations; Kevin Goshe, director of finance; Tim Harless, director of external affairs; Lori Feeney, placement program supervisor; Scott Basilone, ongoing program supervisor; Kevin Wharton, intake program supervisor; and Edith Gilliland, agency attorney.