Bay Mills to host first Spirit Walk abuse awareness event

Brendan Wiesner, The Sault News
·2 min read
The blue pinwheel is a symbol to mark Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The blue pinwheel is a symbol to mark Child Abuse Prevention Month.

BAY MILLS — Dozens of volunteers from abuse resource groups will be leading the first annual April Spirit Walk in Bay Mills on April 29.

April is both Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. Instead of having two events that could draw attention away from each other, the Bay Mills Indian Community partnered with several local organizations to bring awareness to both issues at the same time.

The Spirit Walk will take place in downtown Bay Mills and is designed to bring attention to these issues and make the public aware of resources that are available for victims.

This is the first year of the event, but Bay Mills officials want this to become an annual tradition. One of the largest difficulties when dealing with abuse in a community, they said, is making sure people are aware of the resources available to help them.

"We just want to promote awareness and let people know that there are resources available if you've experienced sexual assault. We have a lot of resources that people don't know are available," said Allison Campbell of the Bay Mills Indian Community. "There's a lot of substance abuse and domestic violence in the communities. There's places you can reach out to to keep you safe and your children safe and supported."

Members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse speak about their mission to organizations like church groups, social-service agencies and Rotary clubs. BACA bikers also go to events like festivals and art walks to hand out brochures and answer questions about their work.
Members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse speak about their mission to organizations like church groups, social-service agencies and Rotary clubs. BACA bikers also go to events like festivals and art walks to hand out brochures and answer questions about their work.

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The walk will be led by Bay Mills Police and the local chapter of the national group Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA).

BACA is an organization dedicated to protecting kids who have been abused, or may need to testify against abusers in court. The group of bikers do whatever is needed to help kids feel safe, such as standing guard outside their home or allowing them to pick biker names.

"What BACA does is support the child in any way they can, they let kids know they are safe," said Campbell.

The walk is also sponsored by resource advocacy groups such as the Bay Mills Victims Advocacy Resource Center and many others who will be setting up tables where they will give away information.

Every attendant of the walk will receive a complimentary t-shirt and have the chance to be entered into a raffle where they can win gift cards, dinner vouchers and other items.

The walk begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 at the Bay Mills Farmers Market, where booths, games and signs will be put up.

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Bay Mills to host first Spirit Walk abuse awareness event