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Central Alabama Regional Child Advocacy Center resumed its annual Pinwheel Garden plantings on Thursday.

The event honors child abuse victims and raise awareness in its service region, Bibb County, Dallas County, Hale County, Perry County and Wilcox County.

CARCAC Executive Director Lauri Cothran said she was glad to see the pinwheel event return after a one-year absence. Last year’s pinwheel event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each pinwheel represents a child involved in an abuse investigation during the year. April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.

 “The pinwheel event gives us a chance to recognize and remember each child that was abused,” Cothran said. “We can’t post the abused children’s future, but we can raise awareness.”

Cothran said that people planted over 200 Pinwheel Gardens this year.

Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said the CARCAC is crucial to his office solving children crimes.

“The Child Advocacy Center has grown into a top-notch organization in our Judicial Circuit,” Jackson said. “It helps with our cases by giving kid victims a safe and comfortable place to tell them what happened to them when the child has been possibly victimized.”