BARBARA SINATRA CHILDREN'S CENTER / FIGHTCHILDABUSE.ORG PARTNERS WITH GOLD MEDAL GYMNAST AND ADVOCATE ALY RAISMAN FOR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

The Empire State Building Will Light Up in Blue in Honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month on April 19

The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Will Also Ring the New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell on April 20

NEW YORK, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, in partnership with FightChildAbuse.org will join efforts  with gymnast and sexual abuse survivor, Aly Raisman to raise awareness surrounding child sexual abuse and the need for prevention education and empowerment strategies in an effort to help ensure every child's right to a healthy and secure childhood.

As part of the initiative, Raisman will be flipping the ceremonial light switch at the Empire State Building to illuminate the iconic skyscraper in blue, the nationally-recognized color of child abuse prevention, on Wednesday, April 19. These blue lights will serve as a symbol of the ongoing fight to end the tragic epidemic of child abuse in the U.S. and around the world, in which one in 4 girls and one in 13 boys in America experience such abuse each year.

Additionally, the following morning of April 20th, the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange will be rung in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month by Greg Marcus, CEO of the national theater chain, Marcus Corporation, along with John Thoresen, CEO of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, one of the nation's foremost treatment, education, research and resource centers for child abuse prevention.

Raisman, team captain of the gold-medal winning Women's Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016, is the third-most decorated American gymnast of all-time. In her New York Times best-selling memoir, Fierce, she shares the highs and lows of her journey, including her survival of childhood sexual abuse. Inspired by an army of other survivors, Raisman continues to advocate for systematic changes within the sport of gymnastics and the eradication of sexual abuse and misconduct.

In December 2020, Raisman headlined the first episode of FightChildAbuse.org's Virtual Event Series where she shared her own journey as a survivor and highlighted child abuse prevention tools and resources for children grades fourth through sixth. The virtual series brings child abuse prevention and awareness content to life by pairing those impacted by abuse with customized, interactive segments and animated conversations with characters from the Fight Child Abuse campaign. Additional episodes featured American Ninja Warrior star and child abuse survivor, Flip Rodriquez, and pop icon, Lance Bass.

"I'm honored to continue my work with the Barbara Sinatra's Children's Center to help bring more attention to the staggering need for child abuse awareness and prevention not just this month, but all year long," said Raisman. "I believe it's critical that we discuss this openly with children and, as adults, it's our responsibility to provide them with tools, resources, and strategies to recognize unsafe situations and encourage help-seeking behavior. As a survivor myself, I am committed to helping empower children to use their voice if they are being hurt, neglected, or feel confused."

"We appreciate our ongoing efforts with Aly Raisman, as well as the partnerships with The Marcus Corporation this month," said John Thoresen, BSCC CEO. "While The Empire State Building lighting and the ringing of the The New York Stock Exchange opening bell honors April as National Child Abuse Prevention month, this is more than just a one month conversation, this is the continuation of a movement to ensure the safety and security of children around the world."

About the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center: Founded in 1986 by Barbara and Frank Sinatra, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center is dedicated to ensuring every child's right to a normal, healthy and secure childhood. Since its creation, about 25,000 children have received outpatient mental health and counseling services at the Center. The Center provides individual, group, and family therapy and special programs that address issues associated with children suffering the effects of child abuse and neglect. An estimated 700 children are counseled annually on an outpatient basis, and no child is ever turned away because of a family's inability to pay. For more information, visit BarbaraSinatraChildrensCenter.org. An animated video series, funded by the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation, has reached over 100 million children worldwide and generated over 61 million individual and group viewings on YouTube throughout the United States and abroad, with India as the second largest user behind the U.S. For more information and resources, visit FightChildAbuse.Org and view the Protect Yourself Rule Video Series at YouTube.com/@fightchildabuse1913.

About the Empire State Building: The Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102^nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86^th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop-culture.  Learn more at www.esbnyc.com. Declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 Attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor's 2022 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best, and the #1 New York City attraction by Lonely Planet, it welcomes more than 4 million annual visitors from around the world.    

Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors primarily house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.    

SOURCE The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center