LIHUE — Third-year Brownie Scout Pualei Veeck was in disbelief when she and her mother spoke about child abuse. “She couldn’t fathom that somebody would hurt their child,” said Jenneifer Veeck, Pualei’s mom. The 8-year-old was among 22 Girl Scouts
LIHUE — Third-year Brownie Scout Pualei Veeck was in disbelief when she and her mother spoke about child abuse.
“She couldn’t fathom that somebody would hurt their child,” said Jenneifer Veeck, Pualei’s mom.
The 8-year-old was among 22 Girl Scouts who planted 500 pinwheels at the Kauai District Health Office and Emergency Medical Services in Lihue as part of the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.
“This event helps prevent child abuse and I think that’s good,” Pualei said. “I think being a Girl Scout is very good because a Girl Scout can do anything if they believe in it. It also helps the community by having service projects like this.”
Radine Fabro, secretary of family health services, Kauai District Health Office, said the event is part of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“We’re spreading some education, so everybody can stop (child abuse),” she said. “We don’t want our keiki to be hurt.”
Working in conjunction with the Department of Health, the scouts first planted pinwheels at the Kauai Police Department on Friday.
Jenny Hornichova, Kauai island coordinator for Girl Scouts of Hawaii, was happy with the turnout in Lihue, which included 18 others supporting the scouts.
“If they participate in all three plantings, they earn a pinwheel badge,” she said.
Kyla Koerte of Troop 823 was part of the older contingent of scouts Wednesday.
“The campaign teaches younger kids about what’s going on around our community,” she said. “It can teach younger kids that they should know if something’s going wrong with their family, if they are being abused, they will know what to do about it.”
