1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. One of those people could be you or someone you love. When you join a Relay For Life event, you’re helping the American Cancer Society fund groundbreaking research, crucial patient care programs, and education and prevention information. When you Relay, you help save lives.

In DeKalb County, the 21st annual Relay for Life is scheduled for Friday, May 11 at Greenbrook Park in Smithville. The program will be held from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. with entertainment, an opening ceremony, a survivors walk around the walking trail in the park, and a luminaria ceremony. Come enjoy lots of entertainment including music, games, food and more all in an effort to raise money to fight cancer

Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is staffed and coordinated by volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 27 countries. Volunteers give of their time and effort because they believe it’s time to take action against cancer.

Join your friends and neighbors at this year’s Relay and help bring the community together to remember loved ones lost, honor survivors of all cancers, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society make a global impact on cancer.

By selflessly devoting your time and energy through raising awareness and money, you become the voice of the American Cancer Society in your community.

Members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad will join the growing number of law enforcement, emergency responders, and volunteers from across the state in Dickson County today searching for a missing 5 year old boy there.

Joseph “Joe Clyde” Daniels was reported missing by his parents on Wednesday April 4. The five-year-old boy has autism and is non-verbal. He was last seen wearing black pajamas with a skeleton on them.

Joe Clyde, known as “Baby Joe” to his family, is 4 feet tall and weighs around 65 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes.

About eight members of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad will be participating in the search at the request of the Dickson County and Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads according to local member Joe Johnson. He added however, that most members of the local rescue squad will remain here to ensure that DeKalb County is covered in the event of a need.

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition (DPC) and DeKalb Community Advisory Board (CAB) are hosting “A Day at the Park” on April 21 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Greenbrook Park in Smithville.

The day is designed to be a Child Abuse Prevention and Foster Family Recruitment Event. It is a free event for families and individuals designed to educate the community about child abuse prevention and to also provide families with information about becoming Foster Parents. Food, games and activities will be available for children and speakers and vendors will be at the park.

The CAB’s mission is to identify, utilize and create resources to help families and the community as a whole. While the DPC works to promote a safe, healthy and productive environment that prevents destructive opportunities among the youth and adults of our community. The DPC and CAB meet together the last Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm. For information on meeting location, please check the DPC facebook page at www.facebook.com/DeKalbPreventionCoalition.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, the DeKalb Prevention Coalition and DeKalb Community Advisory Board encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making DeKalb County a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by making meaningful connections with children, youth and families in our communities.

Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

•Nurturing and attachment
•Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
•Parental resilience
•Social connections
•Concrete supports for parents
•Social and emotional competence of children

“April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children and strengthening families,” said Norene Puckett DPC Community Outreach Liaison. “Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to connect with families is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.”

In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention and over 30 National Prevention Partners have created 2018 Prevention Resource Guide: Keeping Children Safe and Families Strong in Supportive Communities. The resource guide, designed for service providers who work throughout the community to strengthen families, is available online at https://childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/?utm_source=G…

For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of April and throughout the year, contact Lisa Cripps DPC Coordinator 615-580-9290 or www.facebook.com/dekalbpreventioncoalition.