Above / Weather permitting, the banner on the fence at Safety Town will return on March 28, 2026, to observe “April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.” (PN File Photo)
Updated Post, March 31, 2026 / “We decided to reschedule the ‘planting’ of the pinwheel garden to this coming Saturday (April 4, 2026),” noted Dawn Banks, citing a conflict in programming with other scheduled events on March 28.
Original Post, March 21, 2026 / April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. To bring attention to this cause, the Exchange Club of Will DuPage, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, Naperville Jr. Woman’s Club Juniorettes and Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) are joining together again to build a “Pinwheel Garden” at Safety Town. The pinwheels will be placed March 28 to remain spinning in the wind until the end of April.
Safety Town is located on the Naperville Public Safety Campus at the corner of River Road and Aurora Avenue.
“Pinwheels are the symbol of a happy, healthy, and safe childhood and are a reminder that we all play a role in children’s lives,” noted Exchange Club member Dawn Portner in a press release.
Portner went on to explain the pinwheel has been used by Prevent Child Abuse America since 2008 to draw attention to the issue of child abuse and the solution of effective prevention. Evidence shows that children’s early experiences impact them throughout life—positively and negatively.
Kids raised in safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments are more likely to enjoy good physical and mental health and succeed academically and socially. Children who grow up happy and healthy also go on to contribute to economic prosperity for everyone. Child abuse and neglect prevention is possible.
“We all have an effect on the lives of children. Pinwheels are a reminder that we all play a role in children’s lives,” said Portner.
Four organizations join together to help prevent child abuse
Exchange Club of Will DuPage: Exchange, America’s premier service club, is working to make our communities better places to live. The Exchange Club of Will DuPage is dedicated to the elimination of child abuse and domestic violence, through Community Service, Americanism and Youth programs.
For more information, visit www.exchangeclub.org/home.
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois: The mission of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois is to prevent child abuse by providing statewide leadership through education, support for community initiatives, and advocacy.
For more information, visit www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.
Naperville Jr. Woman’s Club: Since its inception in 1967, the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club has provided tens of thousands of hours of volunteer support to hundreds of organizations. From their fundraising efforts, they have donated an estimated one million dollars to local, state and national organizations in need. The Juniorettes are teen volunteers sponsored by the Naperville Jr. Woman’s Club.
In 2026, the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club is more committed than ever in improving the quality of life in our community through its members sharing and giving of themselves. For more information, www.napervillejuniors.org.
Bikers Against Child Abuse: Bikers Against Child Abuse exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. They exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. They work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. They desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of their organization, and that they are prepared to lend their physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and their physical presence. They do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner; however, if circumstances arise such that they are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, they stand ready to be that obstacle.
