Teal bows are hung on the poles in downtown McColl. From left are Antoinette Balfour, Sgt. Jeremy Steen of the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, Devonte Bennett and Wendy Woods of the Marlboro County office of Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault, Pastor Deborah Covington of Beaver Dam First Baptist Church in McColl and member Sylvia Bridges, McColl Mayor George Garner, and McColl Police Chief Robbie Tryon.
During April, teal bows are hung on the poles in downtown McColl.
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and teal is the color that represents Sexual Assault.
A brief ceremony was held on April 7.
In attendance were Devonte Bennett and Wendy Woods of the Marlboro County office of Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault, McColl Mayor George Garner, McColl Police Chief Robbie Tryon, Sgt. Jeremy Steen of the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, Pastor Deborah Covington of Beaver Dam First Baptist Church in McColl, and members Sylvia Bridges and Antoinette Balfour.
Bennett, volunteer and community education coordinator, Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault, thanked Garner and the town for allowing them to add to the beauty of McColl by adding the teal.
Bennett added the bows have meaning.
“McColl is the second most populous town in Marlboro County,” he said. “The bows represent the victims we know about and represent the silent victims. The ones who aren’t being heard and the ones who need to be heard.”
Bennett encouraged everyone present to let people know that help is there whenever they are ready.
“The Pee Dee Coalition doors are open whenever they are ready, 24/7,” he said. “If you know anybody, feel free to extend that hand and let them know we’d have hands extended.”
Garner said he knows that sexual assault happens everywhere. He appreciated the Pee Dee Coalition wanting to put teal up in McColl.
Beaver Dam First Baptist Church members in McColl sang a verse of “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”.
Woods, Marlboro County services coordinator for the Pee Dee Coalition, said the event was just the beginning.
“It is little of us today, but if we can make this an annual event, it will get bigger. Thank you that you were bold enough to put up teal bows for sexual assault awareness month,” Woods said to Garner.
The number for the Bennettsville office is 843-479-0882. The 24-hour crisis line is 1-800-273-1820.
For information, visit www.peedeecoalition.org