Pinwheel Ball Syracuse NY
To the average person, child abuse isn’t something that is crosses their minds often.
Unless you happen to be either a former victim or a person involved.
And for some, it is even hard to comprehend exactly how it would happen.
Because kids as a whole are pretty cute and adorable.
But, private life is very different in each family.
While one kid can grow up with resources and a supporting family, another kid can grow up without any love or compassion and also with very little.
Dr. Ann Botash saw this all too often. As a medical doctor, she saw the results of child abuse and also knew the process of what the victims have to go through, including telling their stories multiple times to different agencies.
But fate would one day pair her up with Martha Ryan – a community advocate – who would help champion her ideas of streamlining the child abuse process so that the inefficiencies and intimidation of the legal and health systems were greatly reduced for the victims.
Twenty three years later, the McMahon Ryan center has grown to over 30,000 square feet, employees over 60 people, and has helped over 7000 children.
And before November, I didn’t even realize this center existed.
But, if you want to know if those fabled messengers of olden times still exist in 2023, the answer is yes.
Because, we were at the Holiday Shoppes at the Fairgrounds in November.
And this older lady spotted our past project of the pinwheel ring that we had created.
In only a few words, she said that our piece was amazing and to check out the “Pinwheel Ball.” And with that, she walked away.
But, when you live through a scene just like from a Disney movie, as the protagonist of the story, there is a sense of wonder and curiosity of what lies behind the door of the “Pinwheel Ball.”
Which is how we found out about the McMahon Ryan Center.
The “Pinwheel Ball” in Syracuse is one of their fundraisers to help support their mission.
And we have created a signature pinwheel pin for their ball, which is being held April 22, 2023.
This pinwheel is going to be part of a live auction at the event along with a few other items to help raise money for their programming.
The final design resembles the logo for the event and features blue diamonds, sapphires, and tanzanite.
It also features a magnetic backing so it can be applied to a variety of fabrics such as leather, silk, and suit coats, without harming any of them.
Because, at the end of the day, when a community comes together to truly listen and help each other, amazing things can happen. And even if it is for a brief moment, maybe one can catch a glimpse the divine in action.