A mom's mission - Florida
A mom's mission Children, parents need to know about dangers BY CARYN GOEBEL EAST MANATEE -- The weeks after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was found buried just miles from her Homassasa home are burned in Sharri Cagle's mind. Details of the girl's kidnapping, sexual assault and murder sickened the Bradenton mother of four. It was all too familiar. Just a year earlier, in February 2004, area residents were horrified with the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia in Sarasota. And as news reports revealed more information on John Evander Couey, the sexual predator charged in Jessica's 2005 murder, Cagle discovered within herself a drive to help protect other children and raise adult awareness of the dangers in their communities. As a background screener for a local verification bureau, Cagle performs dozens of predator searches a week for clients. She knows of the multiple resources available to parents and caregivers that could help keep children safe. It was now her mission to bring those resources and families together. Cagle is finalizing plans for the second Back-to-School Safety Fair next weekend at Heritage Harbour's Central Park. The community-wide initiative will combine entertainment, food and games for children, along with exhibits and safety-related resources and information for parents and families. "We want to be able to give parents and children a one-stop place to obtain information on safety," Cagle said. This is the second year Cagle has organized the event. In 2005, the fair drew more than 800 visitors who took part in 36 interactive exhibits on child welfare and safety. This year, Cagle has arranged nearly 60 exhibitors, including participation from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, the fire department and the Sarasota Police Department, to name a few. At least half of the exhibits are aimed at raising parental awareness about child safety measures, Cagle said. The Sheriff's Office will have a fingerprinting booth, Digi Kids will make photo IDs for children on site, and firefighters will conduct a safety house exhibit. Cagle's employer, Tenants Verification Bureau Inc., will conduct sexual predator and offender searches. Other interactive exhibits will include information on Internet safety, child lures and crime prevention, and bicycle and swimming pool safety. All the safety tips in the world won't make an impact if the children taking part don't have fun, Cagle said. Exhibitors have gone out of their way to make sure their safety messages are taught in a fun, hands-on way, whether it's through a game or coloring a page. Approaching and finding participants and volunteers wasn't difficult once they heard the mission of the event. "Everyone has been so incredible in planning this," Cagle said. "I've met the nicest people who really care about our kids." Proceeds raised from the safety fair will benefit the Sheriff's Office's Explorers Post 61, a law enforcement youth volunteer program for children 11 and older. Deputy Dawn Stroup, a program coordinator, said the money will be used to buy new digital fingerprinting equipment used by the cadets at events such as the safety fair. The fair is an excellent way for parents to pursue all the safety measures available to them, Stroup said. She praised Cagle's efforts, noting that in only the second year of the event, participation has nearly doubled with members of the community recognizing the importance of providing this type of information to families. "Sharri Cagle is phenomenal. She has essentially done this on her own. It's a huge thing and it's really exciting to see it grow," Stroup said. More modest is Cagle herself who applauds all those close to her in getting it done. She admits time becomes her enemy when meeting event deadlines, working full-time as an operations director and volunteering at both Bible Baptist Church and Freedom Elementary School. But help comes from everywhere, including from her colleagues at Tenants, where Cagle has worked for seven years. Childhood and adult friends have blocked out the days around the event to assist. Her husband, Bill, an electrical engineer, has been a pillar of support since the inception of the fair last year. Even the youngest in the Cagle family lends a hand. On the day of the event, Logan, 7, Lindsey, 6, and stepdaughter Megan, 16, will set up tables and post signs. Two-year-old Colin will no doubt be in on it as well, Cagle said. As a busy toddler, he's into everything, she laughed. "This is definitely a family affair," Cagle said. "Whether it's sorting bags or posting signs, they will be right there with me." Last modified: August 17. 2006 10:46AM http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS/608170635