On Thursday, April 5, at Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall, we gathered to memorialize four young Shelby County children. All were age 2 or under when they died: Lennon Lancaster, 5 months old; Adrien Hickerson, 21 months old; Anaya Jones, 6 months old; and Reinyah Ballard, age 2. 

Mayor A C Wharton; Mayor Mark Luttrell; Terre Fratesi, Prosecutor with the Special Victims Unit; Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Nancy Williams; and Chris Williams, CAC Board member all delivered moving remarks. Ephie Johnson, President/CEO of Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc., inspired us with an incredible version of "The Greatest Love of All."

Every April, during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we gather with you to honor the children in our community who died because of abuse or neglect. And to proclaim a vital message to the community: we can, and we must, stop child abuse.