Kick-off to National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month a Success!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Realities For Children created a unique way to bring attention to the importance of this month and to the issues of child abuse in our community. The inaugural Rooftop Raise event on the rooftop terrace of The Elizabeth Hotel held on April 7 & 8 served as the kick-off for this important month and campaign!

36-Hour event collected $20K for Abused and Neglected Youth in Larimer County

The Realities Rooftop Raise included Townsquare Media radio stations broadcasting LIVE for 36 hours from high atop The Elizabeth in downtown Fort Collins. It included a livestream event that included local band performances, and an awards presentation for Triumph Award Winners, youth who have triumphed over childhood adversity.

The celebratory vibe was rewarded with donations from the local community and a matching donation provided by Realities For Children supporter and Business Member Blue Federal Credit Union. A total of $20,000 was raised as part of this kick-off event! All the donations, collected online and via a “bravery bucket” lowered from the rooftop go directly to Realities For Children’s emergency fund that serves abused, neglected, abandoned, and at-risk children.

Success made possible from generous Sponsor Support

This brand new event was made possible through the generous support of a network of local sponsors.

• The Elizabeth Hotel served as the Rooftop Sponsor for the 2-day event. They opened up their rooftop terrace and adjoining suites for our events team and radio talent throughout the event. 
• Our media event sponsor, Townsquare Media, helped us get the word about this event and important cause on all six of their Northern Colorado radio stations. DJ talent from each station rotated throughout the entire event, spending time camping out on the terrace, and broadcasting stories of triumph and awareness.
• Two matching sponsors have generously donated to help Realities For Children make their fundraising goal. Blue Federal Credit Union’s event match helped us reach $20,000 raised in 36 hours! Lion Home Services have offered a $15,000 match that we will be working towards throughout the rest of the month.
• Sponsors that supported this new event with monetary donations, in-kind donations, and professional time include:
  • Markley Motors stepped up as our very first sponsor, and they serve as a Pinwheel Pick Up location for the month of April!
  • Saunders Heath engineers built and installed the special pulley system and Bravery Bucket on the rooftop terrace.
  • Scheels donated all of the camping equipment and supplies for the DJ talent. Their donations were auctioned off in the pre-event silent auction.
  • The VIA Company ran and produced the Livestream program held on April 7th during the event.
  • Business Equipment Services provided printing services for our pinwheel campaign tags.
• Important sponsors who helped support and underwrite this event include:
  • Larimer County Department of Human Services
  • Power Down LLC
  • Integrity Reality
  • No DUI Larimer County
  • Creative Foam
  • Woodley’s Fine Furniture
  • Exodus Moving and Storage
  • NoCo Roofing
  • Affordable Roofing and Restoration
• Media Sponsors who spread the word about the event and helped to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention include:
  • NoCo Style
  • RM Parent
  • Macaroni Kid
  • NoCo Hot Spots

There is still time to make a difference!

While the Rooftop Raise kick-off event may be done, that doesn’t mean that our work in bringing attention to Child Abuse Prevention and Awarenss is over. Throughout the month of April, we invite you to consider donating to our campaign, raising funds for emergency services. One hundred percent of every dollar raised goes directly to the children we serve. You can donate online here: www.realitiesforchildren.com

You can also help us raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention, by “planting a pinwheel”, showing your support of this cause. There are a variety of “pinwheel pick-up” locations around Northern Colorado. You can look for the Pinwheel Pick Up location poster in the window, or find an extensive list at www.RealitiesRooftopRaise.com.

The blue pinwheel is the national symbol for child abuse prevention. The pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. Generally, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment, or reminder, of the great childhoods we want for all children.

Raising the Roof Tradition

The success of this inaugural event has our team excited for even larger possibilities next year! With a topic as important as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness, we look forward to continue to share our message and focus attention on this cause. We hope to see you again next year on the Roof!